HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-08-14 TC PZ Agenda PacketThe Regular Meeting of the Town of Westlake Town Council will begin immediately following the conclusion
of the Town Council Workshop but not prior to the posted start time.
Mission Statement
Westlake is a unique community blending preservation of our natural environment and
viewscapes, while serving our residents and businesses with superior municipal and academic
services that are accessible, efficient, cost-effective, and transparent.
Westlake, Texas – “One-of-a-kind community; natural oasis – providing
an exceptional level of service.”
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TOWN OF WESTLAKE, TEXAS
Vision Statement
An oasis of natural beauty that maintains our open spaces in balance with distinctive
development, trails, and quality of life amenities amidst an ever expanding urban landscape.
TOWN COUNCIL AND PLANNING & ZONING
JOINT WORK SESSION
AGENDA
December 8, 2014
WESTLAKE TOWN HALL
3 VILLAGE CIRCLE, 2ND FLOOR
WESTLAKE, TX 76262
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Workshop Session: 6:30 p.m.
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Work Session
1. CALL TOWN COUNCIL TO ORDER
2. CALL THE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION TO ORDER
3. PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
UPDATE AS RECOMMENDED BY THE STEERING COMMITTEE.
ELEMENTS OF DISCUSSION ARE:
LAND USE PLAN
THOROUGHFARE PLAN
PARKS & OPEN SPACE PLAN
TRAILS PLAN
TOWN DESIGN STRUCTURE PLAN
FACILITIES & TOWN HALL PLAN
STORM WATER & WATER CONSERVATION PLAN
HOUSING PLAN
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN
APPLICATION CASE STUDY
4. DISCUSSION OF “GOING FORWARD” CONSIDERING ADOPTION OF THE PLAN.
5. ADJOURNMENT
ANY ITEM ON THIS POSTED AGENDA COULD BE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION
AS LONG AS IT IS WITHIN ONE OF THE PERMITTED CATEGORIES UNDER SECTIONS
551.071 THROUGH 551.076 AND SECTION 551.087 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT
CODE.
CERTIFICATION
I certify that the above notice was posted at the Town Hall of the Town of Westlake, 3 Village Circle,
November 24, 2014, by 5:00 p.m. under the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of the Texas Government
Code.
_____________________________________
Kelly Edwards, TRMC, Town Secretary
If you plan to attend this public meeting and have a disability that requires special needs, please advise
the Town Secretary 48 hours in advance at 817-490-5710 and reasonable accommodations will be made
to assist you.
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MEMORANDUM
Date: November 19, 2014
TO: Honorable Mayor and Town Council
Planning & Zoning Commission
FROM: Tom Brymer, Town Manager/Superintendent
SUBJECT: Proposed Comprehensive Plan Assessment Report, Citizen Input,
and Plan Elements’ Executive Summary
Since November of last year, the Comprehensive Plan Update Steering
Committee (appointed by the Town Council) has been meeting regularly. They
have met 13 times, including 3 widely advertised public input workshops for the
community. The purpose of this Comprehensive Plan Update Steering
Committee (i.e. the Committee) has been to work with MESA Planning, an urban
planning consulting firm retained by the Town Council, to update the Town’s
1992 Comprehensive Plan.
As you know, a joint workshop with the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z)
and Town Council (Council) is scheduled for Monday, December 8, 2014 at
6:30PM in the Council Chambers at the Town offices in Solana. This joint
workshop represents the next step in the process to move forward with a revised
Comprehensive Plan for Westlake.
What is this next step? The Comprehensive Plan Update Steering Committee
has reached a key milestone in its work. They would like their Chairman Derrell
Johnson as well as Robin McCaffrey of MESA Planning to present to both the
P&Z and Council the Committee’s work to date on updating the Town’s
Comprehensive Plan. This update will cover information contained in the
documents that are in this notebook. For your perusal prior to the December 8th
joint workshop, please find the following documents:
1. The Comprehensive Plan Assessments Report
2. Goals and Citizen Priorities and Framework Plan Report
3. Executive Summary of Plan Elements
• land use plan
• thoroughfare plan
• parks & open space plan
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• trails plan
• Town design structure plan
• facilities & town hall plan
• storm water & water conservation plan
• housing plan
• economic development plan.
I would strongly recommend that you read these documents beginning first by
reading the Assessments Report as it covers where the Town has been, where it
is, and where it is forecast to be over the next several years. The Assessment
Report also analyzes the impact of growth in the communities that surround
Westlake and the SH114 corridor since that will impact Westlake as well. This
Assessment Report is critical to understanding many of the recommendations in
the proposed Plan elements as well as the feedback received at the community
input sessions that were held.
The Comprehensive Plan Update Steering Committee represents a broad base
of residents and stakeholders in Westlake and I would like to thank as well as
recognize them for their many hours of devoted service and valuable input into
this process. They are:
Derrell Johnson, Chairman 2201 Vaquero Club Drive, Westlake
Roland Arthur 1755 Dove Road, Westlake
Paul Beauchamp 1857 Broken Bend Drive, Westlake
Alesa Belvedere, former P&Z Member, Town Council Member 13348
Thornton Drive, Westlake
Greg Goble 6014 Mahotea Boone, Westlake
Jack Dawson Centurion America Development Group
Don Redding 5925 Janet Court, Westlake
Rick Rennhack, Town Council Member 1762 Hidden Springs Court, Westlake
Pete Sackleh Chief Customer Officer, Deloitte University
Joe Schneider Vice-President, Hillwood Properties
Allan Thompson Senior Manager, Real Estate Services, Fidelity
Investments
Mayor Laura Wheat 2006 Navasota Cove, Westlake Texas
Jeff Williams President, Graham Associates, Inc.
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Depending on the discussion and feedback on these plan elements, potentially,
after this joint workshop the proposed Comp Plan would be set for formal
hearings by the P&Z and Council in January-February of 2015.
cc: Derrell Johnson, Chairman, Comp Plan Update Committee
Robin McCaffrey, MESA Planning
Ashley Shook, MESA Planning
Eddie Edwards, Director of Planning & Development, Town of Westlake
Stan Lowry, Town Attorney
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE
TOWN OF WESTLAKE, TEXAS
PART ONE: ASSESSMENTS REPORT
FEBRUARY 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part One: Assessments
Introduction 1
1. Population and
Demographic Assessment 3
2. Existing Conditions Assessment 39
3. Development Suitability
Assessment 62
4. Transportation and
Circulation Assessment 89
5. Infrastructure Capacity
Assessment 101
ASSESSMENTS 1
ASSESSMENTS: AN ANALYSIS OF EXISTING CONDITIONS
INTRODUCTION
The following Part One of this Westlake
Comprehensive Plan Update is referred to
as the Assessments work phase. Assessments
are the necessary foundation upon which
the following are built:
• An understanding of past, present,
emerging, and inherent conditions that
will shape and infl uence the future of
Westlake.
Westlake’s agricultural beginnings,
its proximity to neighboring growth
centers, and its location relative to the
outward expansion of both Dallas and
Fort Worth have contributed to the
present character, setting, and identity
of the Town as well as its commitments
to development entitlements. These
historic dynamics will continue into the
future at greater rates of change and
thereby nurture further development/
expansion/growth of the region and
context surrounding Westlake. As
surrounding change intensifi es, internal
change can become more pervasive
and dramatic. Therefore, understanding
the forces of change, the potential
effects of change, and the time frame
of change is critical to creating a plan
that can manage/respond to change.
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE2
• Goals and Objectives that will guide
formulation of the plan.
Goals and Objectives, which guide the
plan formulation, must be prescriptive,
suggesting community preferences for
outcomes that are necessary responses
to the above described change.
Therefore, the Assessments explain
what needs to be considered when
formulating these outcome preferences,
allowing discussion of future conditions
and their desired impact on the Town.
• Formulation of Plan Elements.
The purpose of this Comprehensive Plan
Update is to recommend future land use,
thoroughfares, infrastructure, housing,
and other actions that are responsive to
the dynamics of change as they present
themselves while remaining consistent
with the Goals and Objectives put
forward by Plan Process participants at
the three Public Workshops. Therefore,
the following assessments are the
starting point from which formulation of
the above mentioned plan elements
can be crafted.
The following Assessments are organized
according to categories of growth impacts
by which the Town will be infl uenced and
to which the Town must be prepared to
respond. These categories of growth
impacts are:
• Population and Demographics, including
the number of people within the future
Town and its surrounding context by
2040.
• Existing Conditions, including the effects
of physical patterns and entitlements
established through history.
• Development Suitability, Part One
and Two, considering the sensitivities
of Westlake’s landscape and the
landscape infl uences that fl ow from
current entitlement and development.
• Transportation and Circulation, including
external traffi c fl owing to and through
Westlake as well as the internal traffi c
fl owing from Westlake.
• Infrastructure, considering the future
water and sewer needs of Westlake at
build-out.
Finally, the Assessments allow a clear view
of what the planning challenges are for
the Planning Team and give them input
variables that can be factored into the
calculus of solution recommendation.
ASSESSMENTS 3
1. POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT
Introduction:
The following text presents an assessment
of population and demographic trends
within the Town of Westlake and its more
regional context. This assessment looks at
fi ve important dimensions of the population
issue. The fi rst issue is magnitude of growth,
answering the question of how many
people will likely be living in Westlake
over the time frame of this plan (2040).
The second issue concerns the potential
confl ict between that rate of growth and
certain limitations to growth imposed by
entitlement, infrastructure and land supply.
The third issue derives from the pressures
that a rapidly growing regional context
places upon the Town of Westlake, whose
population growth is ultimately limited by
capacity issues. The fourth issue concerns
the positive and negative impacts of
present and emerging population tapestry
characteristics; i.e., a consequence of
certain demographic attributes. Finally,
the fi fth issue is the impacts of regional
and local population growth on Westlake
Academy.
Looking at the fi ve issues described above
reveals a broad view of population and
its response to local conditions, as well
as its effect on the Town. Through such
understanding, the Comprehensive Plan
is better informed. More specifi cally, the
population related issues are:
Population Issue #1: Growth Rate and
Population Projections.
The fi rst and perhaps most important
population question to address is “what will
the population of Westlake be by 2040”.
The challenge to answering this question
is the multiple growth-rate-effecting
dynamics of change active within the
Town and its regional context. Therefore,
the Planning Team decided to chart a
number of applicable growth rates and use
as the “Planning Growth Rate”, a rate line
that summarizes (correlates) the distribution
of growth rates plotted. This “analogue”
approach seems to best internalize the
multiple growth rate infl uences present,
emerging, and yet to come. The particular
growth rates charted are as follows:
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE4
Figure 1: Historical Growth Rate Extrapolation
Growth Rate #1: The Historical Growth Rate
Extrapolation. This growth rate calculation
is simply an application of recent census
growth rate (2000 to 2010) as a rate into
the future. Figure 7 shows that the 2000-
2010 growth rate of 5.62% (compounded
yearly to 2040) will yield a 2040 population
of 5,101.11 people. This is based on a
2000 population of 574 as reported by
ESRI. However, SDS says that the 2000
population was 207, which yields an annual
growth rate of 16.9% annually (higher than
neighboring communities and would yield
a 2040 population of 17,309, if applied).
The annual growth rate for population
growth from 2010 to 2013 (1,030 people)
is a mere 1.26%, annually. This recent
rate trend does not support extending
such an aggressive 16.9% rate into the
future. Therefore, the Planning Team will
use the ESRI rate. While methodologically
defensible, this simple application is crude
in that it does not anticipate rate change
(positive or negative) in the future. There
are many issues that could bend the rate
curve upward, such as absorption of the
land supply in neighboring communities
or signifi cant growth of employment in the
Westlake area. However, it does function
well as a reference rate and is, therefore,
included in this analysis.
Growth Rate #2: The Five City Growth
Average. It is extremely enlightening to view
Westlake in comparison to its neighboring
cities; namely, South Lake, Roanoke,
Keller, and Trophy Club. The case can be
made that Westlake will perform, in the
future, similar to its immediate neighbors,
unless there is some signifi cant locational
or other advantage Westlake holds or
there is some extreme defi ciency in the
neighboring communities. Figure 2 illustrates
the geographic range of the fi ve city area.
Therefore, the second plotted growth
rate is an average of the growth rates for
ASSESSMENTS 5
Figure 2: Five City Growth Rate
Westlake and its four municipal neighbors.
This produces an average rate of 3.38%,
when compounded annually to the year
2040 and will yield a population of 2,698.10
people. Note that this rate is considerably
lower than the Westlake only rate. This
illustrates the trend of rates fl attening as
cities grow. Flattening of rate is something
that Westlake will experience and that the
historic rate is not responsive to. Therefore
an average of the Westlake Historic rate
and the fi ve city rate will give greater
weight to the effect of early growth (which
will dominate Westlake’s rate for some time)
while also recognizing the tendency of that
rate to fl atten over time (as neighboring
cities are now experiencing).
Growth Rate #3: The Near Regional Context
Growth Rate. Just as the case that Westlake
will perform in a manner that is similar to its
municipal neighbors can be made, it can
also be said that Westlake’s performance will
reasonably approximate the performance
of what the planning Team refers to as
“The Westlake Region”. Figure 3 shows the
geographic reach of the Westlake Region.
This area was chosen because it considers
numerous rate- effecting growth dynamics
at one time. These rate-effecting growth
dynamics include:
• The infl uence of 35W in combination
with the general east to west advance
of city growth, especially from Dallas
markets: The typical view of population
growth rate in this area is to project
the infl uence of an expanding Dallas
Market. Once it consumed Colleyville,
it consumed Southlake, and once
Southlake established a critical mass, it
moved into Keller. What is interesting
to recognize is that while Colleyville was
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE6
emerging and Southlake was yet to be
the growth center it became, Trophy
Club was already active as a destination
residential environment. This illustrates
the likelihood that beyond a certain
distance from Dallas, the Dallas market
merges with the Tarrant County market,
and places like Roanoke, Westlake, and
Trophy Club fall in that as yet unspecifi ed
market territory. The traditional “Dallas
Market” view does not factor in the
infl uence of the Tarrant County market,
which seems to cling to 35W. Therefore,
a larger Westlake region that embraces
the dynamics of both markets places
the infl uence of 35W alongside the east
to west advance of Dallas activity.
• Movement of growth from south to north:
While historic growth has moved from
east to west along major corridors like
121 and 114 (this is the advance pattern
of the expanding Dallas market), it is
becoming more clear that growth from
south to north (the advance pattern of
the Tarrant County market) is playing an
ever larger role in how this area will fi ll-
out. Therefore, the Westlake regional
view balances the highly aggressive
population rate numbers associated
with east to west movement with the
less aggressive numbers of south to north
movement. In that Westlake’s future
lies within the combined effects of these
markets, a broader view of growth rate
would be useful and make the “Planning
Rate” not just a refl ection of what the
Dallas market is doing.
• The barrier effect of Lake Grapevine: An
important feature to population growth
is the extent to which its geographic
distribution is infl uenced by features
in the landscape. When population
growth moves north of 114, it quickly
encounters the barrier imposed by Lake
Grapevine. Therefore, while the Dallas
market continues to reach out through
Figure 3: Near Regional Context Growth Rate
ASSESSMENTS 7
Figure 4: North Central Region Growth Rate
Flower Mound, Highland Village, and
now Hickory Creek, the infl uence of Lake
Grapevine makes the Tarrant County
market more important to the future of
Westlake.
For all these reasons, the Planning Team has
plotted the Westlake Regional Growth rate
of 6.59%. This rate, compounded annually
to the year 2040, will yield a population of
5,927.25 people.
Growth Rate #4: The North Central Region
Growth Rate. An important infl uence
over the future growth rate of Westlake
is the growth rate of the more general
north central regions of Tarrant and Dallas
Counties. Figure 4 shows the geographic
reach of this area. The general area resides
north of 183 and south of 380. Also, it is
limited in its east and west reach, stopping
at Flower Mound /Lewisville on the east
and Newark/Aurora on the west. Note that
it avoids the urban cores of either Dallas
or Fort Worth and circumscribes the north
central growth area lying between the two
cities. This larger view has all the benefi ts
that the Westlake regional view has but
embraces more growth conditions that
are relevant to the future. Therefore, The
Planning Team has included it as a rate
to be considered. Being one rate out of
fi ve considered, it allows mega-regional
trends to be appropriately weighted in the
analysis. Addition of this rate as a rate to
be factored into the overall correlation can
be considered as a normalization of the
analysis, thereby buffering the infl uence
of individual eccentricities. The North
Central Regional Growth Rate of 4.66%
compounded annually to the year 2040 will
yield a population of 3,615.37 people.
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE8
Growth Rate #5: The Corridor Effect Growth
Rate. As one looks around the Metroplex, it
is apparent that cities and townships locat-
ed adjacent to major corridors grew (and
are growing) at a higher rate than cities
and towns not so located. In that Westlake
is a town located on the 114 corridor and
that 114 is one of the more active corridors
in the Metroplex overall, it is reasonable to
assume that Westlake will realize this “corri-
dor effect” on its own growth rate. The an-
ticipated power of the corridor infl uence is
best expressed by the entitlements currently
embodied in PD 1 through PD 4.
In order to arrive at a “corridor rate” for
Westlake, the Planning Team considered 12
corridor communities and the growth rate
of each. Some of these communities are
high rate performers and others are not,
thereby giving a balanced view of the “cor-
ridor effect” on growth rate. The communi-
ties chosen for this analysis are:
• Rockwall: This is an emerging growth
performer just now entering its high ve-
locity growth period. The 2000-2010 an-
nual growth rate of Rockwall is 5.97%.
• Allen: This is a mature corridor growth
community. The 2000-2010 annual
growth rate of Allen is 6.70%.
• Fairview: Has demographic attributes
similar to Westlake and also similar attri-
butes of form. The commercial center of
Fairview (holding about as much com-
mercial as Westlake retains in its PD’s) lies
along US 75 with the residential areas be-
yond, much like Westlake. The 2000-2010
annual growth rate of Fairview is 10.97%.
• Roanoke: This community displays the
particular effects of the 114 corridor and
a major north/ south highway. The 2000-
2010 annual growth rate of Roanoke is
6.02%.
• Forney: A Township along the I-20 corri-
dor. The 2000-2010 annual growth rate
of Forney is 10.41%.
Figure 5: Corridor Effect Growth Rate
ASSESSMENTS 9
• Prosper: A corridor Township immedi-
ately beyond another corridor city that
is growing rapidly. The 2000-2010 annual
growth rate of Prosper is 13.93%.
• McKinney: Located in the US 75 corridor
this is a mature growth center. The 2000-
2010 annual growth rate for McKinney is
9.09%.
• Melissa: A Township along the US 75 cor-
ridor that is on the fringe of growth. The
2000-2010 annual growth rate for Melis-
sa is 8.66%.
• Frisco: A township along the Dallas North
Tollway currently encountering the cor-
ridor growth effect. The 2000-2010 an-
nual growth rate for Frisco is 13.21%.
• Fate: A Township along the I-30 corridor
currently encountering corridor driven
growth. The 2000-2010 annual growth
rate for Fate is 12.23%.
• Anna: A Township along the US 75 corri-
dor that currently encountering growth.
The 2000-2010 annual growth rate for
Melissa is 13.67%.
• Royce City: A Township along the I-30
corridor that currently encountering
growth. The 2000-2010 annual growth
rate for Melissa is 9.81%.
The average growth rate for these corridor
cities and townships is 10.05%. Therefore,
the average rate compounded annual-
ly to the year 2040 will yield a population
in-migration dynamic of 53,827 people in
Westlake. While this number far exceeds
the capacity of Westlake, it represents a
velocity of growth and places Westlake at
its point of capacity relatively early in the
future. The justifi cation for recognition of the
corridor related growth rate impact is illus-
trated in Figure 5 (published by NCTCOG
and part of the Vision North Texas growth
analysis). Note that the highest population
densities are illustrated for the vicinity of the
307 and 114 intersection. Such densities are
also shown for the corridor communities se-
lected in Figure 5a.
Figure 5a: Corridor Effect Growth Rate with Ref. Cities
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE10
Growth Rate #6: The NCTCOG Growth Rate.
It is important to compare the population
growth potential projected by this analysis
to what has been published by the North
Central Texas Council of Governments
(NCTCOG). In 2011, NCTCOG released
population forecasts for 2035 and stated
that Westlake would attain a population
of 8,100. In earlier forecasts, NCTCOG
projected a 2030 Trophy Club population
of 10,057 people (1.57% annual growth
rate), which is 24% (3,194 people) less than
the historic growth rate (2.54%) projected
potential. The 2030 NCTCOG projection
for Roanoke is 9,782 (4.27% annual growth
rate). This is half of what the historic growth
rate (6.02%) projects as growth potential.
The difference is best explained in Table 6
above.
Note that population grows aggressively
between 2000 and 2005 (Trophy Club =
17.4%) but fl attens out between 2005 and
2010 (Trophy Club = .85%). Then, again,
it grows between 2010 and 2020 (Trophy
Club = 4.01%) but fl attens out between 2020
and 2030 (Trophy Club = 24%). The Planning
Team’s analogue approach will internalize
the fl attening dynamics and yield a more
equally distributed result.
Each of the above described growth rates
is plotted on Figure 7 and labeled 1 through
6. The large green line represents the
correlated line, or the “Planning Rate”, that
is used throughout this planning process
to establish the 2040 population potential.
The term population potential is used in this
case because capacity to hold population
growth is the real population issue for
this Town. Discussion of the relationship
between growth rate and holding capacity
is presented in Population Issue #2. It is
the determination of the Planning Team
that the Planning Growth Rate considers
all the growth-rate-signifi cant dynamics of
the north central Metroplex, the Westlake
region, the fi ve city context, the corridor
effect, NCTCOG projection, and the Town’s
own history.
Figure 6: NCTCOG 2030 Pop. Forecast Table
Figure 7: Growth Projection Chart
ASSESSMENTS 11
The Planning Rate of 7.12% is, therefore, the
population projection basis for this planning
effort and will yield a population of 7,500
people by 2040. This is only 600 people less
than what was projected by NCTCOG.
Figure 8 illustrates the distribution of
NCTCG projected population growth by
2040. Note that the area of Westlake,
Roanoke, and Trophy Club are among
those areas receiving a greater portion
of overall population growth. Population
growth in this area will increase more than
125,000 people. This supports the notion
of attributing a greater rate potential for
Westlake. Referred to as the Alliance North
Fort Worth area, it is one of the target growth
centers identifi ed by NCTCOG.
Figure 8: NCTCOG Projected Pop. Growth
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE12
Population Issue #2: The Confl ict between
Growth Rate and Build-Out Capacity
Once it has been determined what the
2040 population projection is, a special
consideration particularly important to
Westlake emerges: the point at which
Westlake’s population growth runs up
against Westlake’s capacity to hold
population. This point of convergence
between capacity and in-migration is
signifi cant to the Westlake Comprehensive
Plan because of four factors:
Inversion of Land to Improvement Value
Relationships: The conventional wisdom
of the market place says the value of
an improvement, or structure, generally
responds to the value of the land upon
which it sits. Therefore, one will not fi nd a
speculative offi ce building in a corn fi eld
but rather in an urbanized area where the
value of land refl ects the market potential
of the location; i.e., proximity relationship.
This is best illustrated by Figure 9. In this
fi gure, the numerator is the improvement
value and the denominator is the land
value. In the left most set of dollar signs, the
numerator (improvement) is greater than
the denominator (land value). This is the
situation seen in much of South Dallas where
dwindling land values has led to deferred
maintenance and absentee ownership.
This relationship is labeled as “blighting”
because the pressures of improved value
(refl ective of market desirability) are not
present. The right most set of dollar signs
(Stimulative) refl ects what could happen
in Westlake when growth approaches the
capacity limits: in-migration (demand) is
limited by capacity (supply) and there is a
pressure for the denominator (land value) to
rise. At some point, it exceeds a normative
relationship to improvement value and
triggers interests in redevelopment. This is just
what has been happening in Preston Hollow
for the past 10 years...rising land values
have triggered the redevelopment of lots
with much larger, more expensive homes.
When a stimulative situation exists, a town
or place is in “transition” whether physical
development is occurring or not and is,
therefore, basically unstable. The middle
set of dollar signs (balanced) is actually a
theoretical condition as the dynamics of an
economy move through balance between
the right and left extremes. To remain in
balance is a condition of “stasis”, something
that a vibrant economy cannot sustain
without becoming dormant.
While movement through a point of
balance is unavoidable, the extremes of
its swing is what the plan should endeavor
to limit, as seen in Figure 10. When the
denominator expands too aggressively,
it becomes unstable, a “bubble”, in
market terms. Driven by speculation, this
became the international condition pre
2008. Banks observing the instability of a
rapidly increasing denominator and its
burden of greater risk sought to diminish the
denominator by transferring a portion of that
risk through derivatives. After 2008, when
the denominator began to aggressively
shrink and government saw the growing
Figure 9: Stimulative Effect
ASSESSMENTS 13
risk of fi nancial failure, government sought
to stabilize the effects of such shrinkage
with TARP. For Westlake, approaching
the capacity line with population growth
in a market where that growth demand
well surpasses capacity, the forces of
speculation become activated and
a stimulative condition emerges. This
condition has the potential to become a
bubble, only worsening the instability of
a stimulative environment. The ultimate
expression of speculation and a stimulative
condition is redevelopment.
Redevelopment/Infill-Development
Management over Growth Management:
Redevelopment / Infi ll-development
is a much different issue than growth
management of yet undeveloped land.
For the foreseeable future the issues of
growth also engage reconciliation of the
existing entitlements in such a way that a
coherent township emerges. However,
depending on which growth rate is
ultimately applicable, Westlake could
fi nd itself approaching capacity in a very
few years and, thereby confronted with
issues related to redevelopment and infi ll-
development. These issues include:
• Participation of local government:
Typically, the complexities of
redevelopment/infill-development
require greater participation of local
government. Such involvement ranges
from various public/private partnerships
to revision of standards that apply to
the preceding condition. The many
issues surrounding development
within an existing built fabric call for
greater oversight, regulation, and
where desirable outcomes need to be
incentivized, participation.
• Adjacency and design more than land
use: Redevelopment is development
that replaces and/or reuses existing
development, while infi ll-development
is development on remnant land
parcels within the existing built fabric.
Each of these undertakings brings new
construction of typically higher use,
thereby responding to appreciation
of underlying value in close proximity
to lesser use. Therefore, design and
transition become signifi cant to a
successful coexistence. One early sign
of infi ll-development and increasing
land value is a tendency toward smaller
lots. Smaller lot developments can be
a benefi t to Westlake and provides
potentially needed housing options,
but the design and price point of the
development is critical. The Caruth
Home Place, located east of US 75 and
fronting the north edge of Southwestern
Boulevard (northern edge of University
park), is an infi ll development that
complimented the existing community
and affi rmed its value. Design has great
impact on how a city manages growth.
• Managing transition over managing
growth: As stated above, managing
transition involves greater management
of design and calls upon the regulators to
be equipped to undertake such a task.
Figure 10: Stability Effect
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE14
The primary issue of redevelopment and
infi ll-development is its potential to trigger
wholesale change, which then impacts
the marketability of existing land use.
Therefore, the challenge is to manage
change in a way that preserves stability.
Management of growth has much to
do with land use and implementation of
standards that are related to the project,
internally. However, management of
redevelopment and infi ll-development
involves implementation of standards
that are related to the projects external
effects. It also requires greater creativity in
addressing issues of adjacency because
while the greenfi eld has abundant
space to establish large setbacks, etc.,
the redevelopment/infi ll-development
project has less space to work with and
must achieve the same results through
creative use of the edge envelopes.
• The need for redevelopment/infi ll-
development management tools and
a redevelopment plan: The greater
importance of design means that the
Town will ultimately need design tools to
facilitate its oversight work. In addition,
it will need new ordinance vehicles to
codify these design standards. Most
important, the Town will shift from simple
land use to creation of a redevelopment
plan. This plan will identify areas where
redevelopment is appropriate and
where infi ll-development is likely to
happen. By such designation, standards
are then applicable to redevelopment/
infi ll-development activity.
Greater accountability for decision
process: In a condition where the land
supply is limited, demand is strong, and land
values are rising, the cost of failure in the
entitlement process becomes signifi cantly
greater. Also, the cost burden of going
through the entitlement process is greater.
Therefore, attention on the process,
itself, becomes acute. In Dallas, most
zoning maters are handled by attorneys
representing the applicant, instead of the
owner/developer. This has led to signifi cant
change in how zoning matters are handled
within City Hall and prompted the creation
Figure 11: Redevelopment Infi ll
ASSESSMENTS 15
of more expeditious processes, more binary
standards, and more in-depth application
review. As Westlake approaches its
holding capacity, such changes to existing
processes will be required for all the reasons
mentioned above.
Service demands of use versus service
demands of resident population: Most of
the above observations relate to absorption
of the residential land. However, as the
economy improves and the rapid growth
projected for the Westlake region reaches
a critical mass, the Circle ‘T” commercial
property is very likely to develop. When one
considers the other optional retail locations,
it is clear that the Circle ‘T” location is prime.
The adjacent aerial shows the fi ve critical
intersections west of Solana Boulevard.
Intersections labeled with an “A” are the
ones that serve Circle ‘T” and are equipped
with cross over structures, entitlement, and
land supply. Intersections labeled ”B” and
“C” are spatially constrained. While they will
have some amount of retail in the future, it
will be more limited in terms of total square
footage. Intersection “D” is consumed
with periodic traffi c issues related to the
speedway and land in that location is
slated for hotel development over retail.
Finally, intersection “E”, owned by the Perot
Company, will, except for the Cabalas and
other present retail, likely be retained to
support the primary industrial purpose of
Alliance. For this reason, Perot Company
has taken one of its four intersection sites as
a truck stop. In light of this quick assessment,
it is likely that the Circle “T” property will
develop signifi cant commercial square
footage to serve the emerging market
and, as a result, import a great deal of
vehicular traffi c and daytime populations
to the Town. The service needs of this day
time population become a potential cost
burden to a residential ad valorem base
limited by land area that is relatively small
compared to the amount of non-residential
land area.
Figure 12: Accountability
Figure 13: Service Demands
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE16
Figure 7 identifi es two capacity limits that
can set a ceiling on residential in-migration.
These capacity limits are:
• Capacity set by existing entitlement
(Zoning Supply): Considering the zoning
in place and the entitlements conveyed
by the Town’s 4 Planned Development
Ordinances, the residential capacity of
Westlake is 2,253 households and 6,927
people at 3.28 (SF) and 1.9 (MF) persons
per household. The next section, Existing
Conditions, has taken that information
and converted it to residential units and
development square footage. Through
this process, a total number of units is
identifi ed.
• Capacity set by land area (Land
Supply): Assuming that existing zoning
could be adjusted over time, the land
area of Westlake becomes its ultimate
capacity determinant. Assuming that
retail entitlements remain and that offi ce
entitlements on interior properties may
be converted to residential use, the land
supply holding capacity at 3.28 units per
acre would be 2,046 households or 7,747
people.
Note that applying the Planning Growth
Rate of 7.21%, Westlake hits its capacity line
“6,927 people” by 2036. However, giving
greater weight to the “corridor effect” (as
discussed in the previous section) could
place Westlake at the threshold of its
capacity much earlier (at an 8% growth rate,
capacity of 6,927 would be encountered
by 2035). Therefore, attaining capacity is
a planning issue fl owing from population
growth projections.
Population Issue #3: Internal Pressures of
Regional Growth.
When considering the future population
projection of Westlake, it is important to
consider it in relationship to the population
of surrounding communities. This is important
because Westlake resides in a very dynamic
growth context that will impact the city
physically as a result of the increased service
demand, traffi c, value fl uctuations, and
daytime populations such growth drives.
There are four population settings that merit
consideration. These are:
Figure 7: Growth Projection Chart
ASSESSMENTS 17
• The Four Surrounding Cities: This setting
considers the population touching
the edges of Westlake and includes
Southlake, Trophy Club, Roanoke, and
Keller, as seen in Figure 14.
• The Westlake Upstream Region: This
setting considers the cities and townships
that are west of Westlake served by
Highway 114. These are growth areas
that will eventually defi ne Westlake’s
retail and commercial hinterland. This
area includes Roanoke, Haslet, Newark,
Corral City, Argyle, Rhome, Justin, Keller,
Ponder, and Northlake, as seen in Figure
15.
• Regions Accessing 114: This setting
considers the communities south
of Westlake that must fl ow through
Westlake to Highway 114 and retail
fronting Highway 114. This area includes
Keller, Watauga, and North Richland
Hills, as seen in Figure 16.
• 15 minute Retail and Commuter Drive
Zone: This setting considers growth
areas that lie within areas that are
within a 15-minute drive to the center of
Westlake. The center of Westlake is set
at Westlake Town Hall. This zone extends
more to the east and west than to the
north and south because of the driving
time advantage afforded by Highway
114, as seen in Figure 17.
Figure 14: Internal Pressures, Four Surrounding Cities
Figure 16: Internal Pressures, Regions Accessing 114
Figure 17: Internal Pressures, 15 Min. Retail and
Commuter Drive Zone
Figure 15: Internal Pressures, Westlake Upstream
Region
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE18
Figure 18 illustrates that there is rapid and
expansive growth in each of the above
population settings, meaning that Westlake,
with its projected small population of 7,000
people, is the focal point of a considerable
population center. More specifi cally:
• The Four Surrounding Cities: The four
cities surrounding Westlake will hold a
combined population of 215,801 people
by 2040. This population physically
surrounds the commercial center defi ned
by combined Planned Development
District entitlements in Westlake, which
collectively convey right to more than
18 million square feet of non-residential
development, including hotels. Ignoring
the political boundaries of individual
cities and focusing on the mechanical
integration of this area through shared
roads, infrastructure, and economic
transaction; Westlake is the commercial
center of an urban/economic organ
containing approximately 220,000
people. Compare this to other single
jurisdiction cities with a similar population.
Such cities in Texas include Laredo
(244,731), Lubbock (236,065), Garland
(233,564), and Irving (225,427). Because
of the commercial aggregation within,
and structural integration of, this fi ve
city area, including Westlake, Westlake
faces truly urban issues as it matures.
Commercial aggregation and structural
integration means that these adjacent
population will:
• Use Town roads
• Use Town parks and open spaces
• Place potential demand on
emergency services
• Require capital project investment to
service needs
If Westlake chooses to remain “small”
in terms of the appearance of it roads
and openness of its landscape, it will
face the same challenges that Highland
Park faces as Dallas grows around it.
Maintaining a small scale road capacity
and/or limiting the road system to a few
main roads will cause dramatic level of
service increase at the few outlet points
serving the city (see Circulation Analysis).
Part of the “smallness” that residents
currently enjoy is a fl uidity of service
at intersections. Presently intersection
service levels are “C” or better.
• The Westlake Upstream Region: The
largely undeveloped upstream region
can grow rapidly over the next 27 years
and attain a potential population of
220,826 people. Except for Keller and
Roanoke, many of the cities comprising
this setting are outside the “Four Cities”
setting (described above) and, thereby,
raise to the total population impinging
Figure 18: Leakage Chart
ASSESSMENTS 19
up Westlake to right at 300,000 people.
This is a signifi cant tributary population
and further adds to the burdens that
the small residential population (but
dense commercial aggregation) Town
of Westlake will bear.
• Regions Accessing 114: The largely
developed cities and townships south of
Westlake along primary arterials running
through Westlake, such as Precinct Line
Road, will potentially attain a population
of 219,184 people. These cities and
townships will use the roads running
through Westlake to access Highway114
and the many retail/employment
destinations along the way. Most of
these people will live in Keller, but the
two cities further south than Keller and
using Westlake arterials to access the
Highway 114 corridor will add another
94,000 people to the 300,000 mentioned
above bringing the total population
that uses and fl ows through Westlake to
nearly 400,000 people.
• 15 minute Retail and Commuter Drive
Zone: Of all the population settings
discussed in this analysis, the 15
minute drive-time window is perhaps
the most signifi cant. The national
average commuting time is 23 minutes.
Therefore, commute times within this
23 minute range would lead potential
employees and corporate offi cers to
live somewhere in the 15 minute drive-
time area if their work place were
located in Westlake and can be viewed
as population absorbing commercial
space in Westlake. In addition, people
living within this drive-time window will
be the primary shoppers patronizing
retail establishments in Westlake. There
will potentially be 296,000 people living
in this area by 2040. The potential
population tapestry segments that
describe this population (discussed in
the following section) suggest that the
median household income will be nearly
$100,000.00, making this emerging
population concentration (presently
underserved by retail in the general
window area) a determinant for locating
retail uses in Westlake. Therefore, the
296,000 people living within the 15 minute
drive-time window will substantially
supply the workforce and shopping
population that will also be in Westlake
for signifi cant time periods each day.
Assuming that the 2040 population will
look a lot like the 2013 population in
terms of age distribution, 48% of these
296,000 people (142,000 people) are
between the age of 20 and 60 years old
and, therefore, possible participants in
the workforce. Because the population
resides within a commute distance that
is clearly less than the national average
and because the population tapestry
segment analysis below suggest that
91% of this population is employed in
management, professional, sales, and
white collar jobs, they are likely candidates
to work in Westlake’s offi ce centers. If we
assume that 40% of the 142,000 could
work in offi ces located in Westlake, the
Westlake workforce contribution fl owing
from the 15 minute drive-time window is
56,000 people. At 300 square feet per
person, this workforce could absorb all
the offi ce entitlement now granted by
the Planned Development Ordinances
of Westlake (13,314,980 square feet).
The actual employment capacity of
the commercial entitlements is 37,000
people.
The 15 minute drive-time window
population will potentially meet this
threshold by 2032 (when populations
are compounded annually at historic US
census growth rates).
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE20
From a retail perspective, the 15 drive-
time window experienced $4.4 billion
in retail sales in 2012, while the retail
sales potential of the area’s population
(145,960 in 2012) represents $2.3 billion
dollars. This means that there was
signifi cant importation of retail sales
during 2012. Using the retail potential
of $2.3 billion and a population growth
potential by 2040 of 295,521 people, the
possible 2040 retail potential could be
$4.6 billion. That is a growth of $2.3 billion
over the next 27 years and such sales
volume could support approximately 9.2
million square feet of retail space. The
3.1 million square feet of retail space
granted via the Planned Development
Ordinances of Westlake represents a safe
33% of that growth market. This means
that the drive-time population growth
could easily absorb the retail square
footage established by its Planned
Development Ordinances.
Figure 18 illustrates the sales surplus
(imported sales) and leakage within the
15 minute drive-time window.
ASSESSMENTS 21
Dallas MSA Class A Offi ce Buildings
Recent growth in Class A offi ce space
has largely followed major transportation
corridors leading to executive households.
In particular, areas north of Loop 635 along
the Dallas North Tollway, shown in Figure
19, have seen signifi cant growth in Class
A offi ce space as executive housing has
emerged in cities such as Plano, Frisco,
Prosper, and The Colony. To the northwest of
Dallas, Las Colinas has emerged as a major
employment hub, providing accessibility to
executive households Via Highway 114.
Figure 19: Dallas MSA Class A Offi ce Buildings
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE22
Metroplex Executive Housing Corridors
Figure 20 illustrates where executive housing
corridors have emerged outside of Loop
635 as affl uent households continue to
prefer areas with strong schools and access
to employment. The area north of Loop 635
along the Dallas North Tollway represents
the most robust growth corridor, garnering a
large share of executive household growth
over the last three decades. The Westlake
area represents another executive housing
concentration; the area’s strong schools
and access to employment located along
Highway 114 will continue to draw affl uent
households to the area. Likewise, additional
employers will likely be drawn to the area as
the concentration of executive households
continues to grow.
Figure 20: Metroplex Executive Housing Corridors
ASSESSMENTS 23
Metroplex Household Growth
Suburban areas have exhibited the
strongest growth rates over the last three
years. Areas like the 114 Corridor, with
ample development opportunities, well-
performing schools, and strong access
to employment, are likely to continue
garnering much of the household growth
in the Metroplex. Areas to the west, such
as Roanoke, and areas to the north, such
as Flower Mound, have also experienced
signifi cant growth in recent years. Refer to
Figure 21.
Figure 21: Metroplex Household Growth
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE24
Westlake Area Employees: Commuting
Patterns
Based on 2011 Census data, employees
who work in the Westlake area mostly live in
areas north northeast of Fort Worth. About
20% of commuters live in the Towns of Euless,
Southlake, North Richland Hills, Grapevine,
Keller, and Irving, with 17% of commuters
living in the city of Fort Worth. Overall, about
17% of commuters live in the City of Fort
Worth. With ample development capacity
in the Fort Worth area, along with areas north
of Westlake that are largely undeveloped,
offi ce development in Westlake is likely to
continue. Refer to Figure 22.
Employment by Industry
Figure 23 shows that 60% of Primary Market
Area employment is concentrated in three
industries. The fi rst is Trade, Transportation,
& Utilities, accounting for 25% of area
employment, compared to 21% for the
Metroplex. This higher proportion is likely
due to the presence of Alliance Texas. The
second industry is Professional Services,
accounting for 21% of total employment,
compared to just 19% for the Metroplex.
The third industry is Financial Activities,
accounting for 12% of total employment,
compared to just 8% for the Metroplex.
Continued growth in these industries will
support new offi ce development in and
around the Westlake area.
Figure 22: Westlake Area Employees’ Commuting
Patterns
ASSESSMENTS 25
Job Center Statistics
Large suburban job centers have emerged
outside of Loop 635, with the Legacy
Business Park and Las Colinas representing
two of the largest suburban job centers
in the Metroplex. Similar to Westlake, the
Legacy Business Park is located 30 miles
outside of Downtown Dallas. Assuming
Westlake begins to resemble the Legacy
Business Park’s 260 square feet of offi ce
space per household within a 20-minute
drive, this would imply growth of almost six
million square feet of offi ce space. Further
executive household growth along the 114
Corridor and areas north of Westlake will lend
further support to additional commercial
land uses, bringing an increasing amount of
commuters and visitors to Westlake. With the
Figure 23: Employment by Industry
Figure 24: Comparison Chart
area within a 20-minute drive from Westlake
projected to have as many households as
the area around Legacy Business Park, a
massive commercial concentration is likely
supportable given the area’s transportation
access and visibility. Refer to Figure 24.
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE26
Population Issue #4: The Effects of Dominant
Tapestry Trends
Population tapestry is a “Segmentation
System”. Segmentation systems operate
“on the theory that people with similar taste,
lifestyles, and behaviors seek others with
the same tastes – Like seeks like” (Tapestry
Segmentation Reference Guide by ESRI).
According to ESRI, these behaviors can be
measured, predicted and targeted. The
exploration of dominant Tapestry Segments
presented below uses the ESRI Tapestry
Segmentation System that “combines the
‘who’ of lifestyle demography with the
‘where’ of local neighborhood geography
to create a model of various lifestyles
segments of actual neighborhoods.”
The ESRI Tapestry Segmentation System
has 65 market segment classifi cations
that classify US neighborhoods based on
their socioeconomic and demographic
compositions. These classifi cations use
available census and other variables
(derived through sophisticated data mining
techniques) that can distinguish consumer
behavior; from household characteristics,
such as income and family type, to personal
traits, like age, education, employment, and
even housing choices. According to ESRI,
the Tapestry Segmentation System classifi es
US neighborhoods (census block groups)
according to the above mentioned 65
market segments, and “neighborhoods with
the most similar characteristics are grouped
together, while neighborhoods with
divergent characteristics are separated”.
To facilitate quick analysis of these segment
distributions, the 65 market segments are
combined into 12 “LifeMode Summary
Groups” based on lifestyle and life stage.
Tapestry segment designations have proven
to be stable despite signifi cant demographic
changes in the US population. Among the
signifi cant demographic changes since
Census 2010 are:
• The US population has increased by two
million people,
• More than 740,000 households have
been created, and
• Half a million people have become
homeowners.
Lynn Wombold, chief demographer and
management of data development at ESRI,
states that “although the demographic
landscape of the United States changed
signifi cantly since Census 2000, [the]
review and update of the segmentation
system further confi rms the stability of the
Tapestry Segmentation System as some
neighborhoods evolved and moved into
other segments.”
The Tapestry Segment information analyzed
in this section is the same data used by
business marketing fi rms as they seek to
understand consumer types, shopping
patterns, product and media preferences,
and customer retention. This data system
is used for media targeting, direct mail, site
location analysis, and customer profi ling.
Figure 25 shows the Tapestry Segmentation
Summary groups generally present in the
Westlake area. This slightly larger view of
Westlake is presented here because much
of present day Westlake is undeveloped.
However, because of the nation-wide
tendency of segment classifi cations to cling
together, it can be reasonably projected
what the segments within Westlake are
and will be “Suburban Splendor” and
“Boomburb”. Figure 25 shows the following
Tapestry Segmentation within a 1 mile, 3
mile, and 5 mile radius of Westlake.
ASSESSMENTS 27
In order to better understand what these
designations mean in terms of demographic
characteristics. The Tapestry Segments
identifi ed above can be grouped into “Life
Style Mode” summary groups, each with
distinct demographic characteristics as
follows (using descriptions from ESRI):
• LifeMode: High Society (comprised
of segment groups 1, 2, 4, 6, and
7): Residents of the “High Society”
neighborhoods are affl uent and well
educated. They represent slightly more
than 12 percent of all US households
but generate nearly one-quarter of the
total US income. Employment in high
paying positions, such as professional or
managerial occupations, is a primary
reason why the median income for this
group is $100,216.00. Most households
are married couple families who live in
affl uent neighborhoods. Although this
is one of the least ethnically diverse
groups in the Unites States, it is one of
the fastest growing, increasing by more
than 2 percent annually since 2000.
Residents of High Society are affl uent
and active – fi nancially, civically, and
physically. They participate in a wide
variety of public activities and sports
and travel extensively. Use the internet
or radio instead of television to reach
these markets.
• LifeMode: Upscale Avenues (comprised
of segments 13, 16, and 17): Prosperity
is the overriding attributes shared by the
three segments in Upscale Avenues.
Residents have earned their success
from years of hard work. Similar to the
High Society segments, many in this
group are also well-educated with
above-average earnings. However,
their housing choices reveal their distinct
preferences. Urban markets [referring
to segments which make up the Upscale
Avenues Mode] such as “Urban Chic”
Figure 25: Tapestries 1-5 mile radii graphic, legend
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE28
and “Pacifi c Heights” favor townhouses
and high-rises, “Pleasant-Ville residents
prefer single family homes in suburban
neighborhoods, and “Green Acres”
residents opt for open space. Some
have not settled on a home yet, such
as renters and comfortable residents
among “Enterprising Professionals”;
others, such as “Cozy and Comfortable”
residents, have been settled for years.
The median household income is
$65,912.00. Prosperous domesticity also
characterizes the lifestyle in Upscale
Avenues. They invest in their homes, the
owners work on landscaping and home
remodeling projects and the renters buy
new furnishings and appliances. They
play golf, lift weights, go bicycling, and
take domestic vacations. Although they
are partial to new cars, they save and
invest their earnings.
• LifeMode: Family Portrait (comprised
of segments 12 and 19): Family Portrait
has the fastest growing population of
the LifeMode Summary Groups, driven
primarily by the rapid increase in “Up and
Coming Families” segment. Youth, family
life, and the presence of children are the
common characteristics across the fi ve
markets in Family Portrait. This group is
also ethnically diverse: more than 30%
of the residents are of Hispanic descent.
The neighborhoods are predominantly
composed of homeowners who live in
single family homes. Most households
include married couples with children
who contribute to the group’s large
household size, averaging more than
3.09 persons per household. Their lifestyle
refl ects their youth and family orientation
– buying infant and children’s clothing
and toys and visiting theme parks and
zoos.
Looking at the tapestry segment distribution
map (Figure 25), in addition to LifeModes,
one can see patterns of distribution that are
worth noting:
1. The One Mile Zone (centered by the
Town Hall location) is dominated by the
Suburban Splendor Tapestry Segment
(85.7%). This means that 85.7% of the
one mile households have the following
characteristics:
a. Predominantly white
b. Half of the population is aged 35-64
years.
c. The median household income is
$115,369.00.
d. Labor force participation rates are
high for both men and women; many
households are two income.
e. Generally, salaries are supplemented
with incomes from interest, dividends,
and rental property at a rate much
higher than the national level.
f. Well educated, more than half of
the population aged 25 years and
older hold a bachelor’s degree or
graduate degree.
g. Home ownership rate is 92% with 62%
of the houses built after 1979.
h. 85% of households own two or more
vehicles.
i. Generally residents are members
of business clubs and are active
investors, using the internet to track
and trade their stocks, bonds, and
funds. They hold home equity credit
lines, consult with fi nancial planners,
use stock ratings services, and own
life insurance policies valued at
approximately $500,000.00. They
shop at upscale retailers, home stores,
and wholesalers. They order items
over the phone and shop on-line for
equipment. This segment dominates
the One Mile Zone and is 54.3% of the
Three Mile Zone and drops to only
25.9% of the Five Mile Zone.
ASSESSMENTS 29
2. While the Boomburbs segment is only
14.3% of the One Mile Zone, it is 17% of the
Three Mile Zone, and rises to 22% of the
Five Mile Zone. The Boomburg segment
has the following characteristics:
a. Younger than the Suburban Splendor
segment, with ages generally
between 35 and 44 years.
b. The median household income of
$104,395.00 is slightly less than the
Suburban Splendor segment but is
still double that of the US median.
c. Homeownership rate at 87 percent is
higher than the national rate.
d. Family vacations are a top priority;
trips to Disney World, Sea World,
and other theme parks are popular
destinations. For exercise, they
play tennis and golf, ski, lift weights,
and jog. They will spend more than
$250.00 a year on high end sports
equipment and buy family DVD’s for
their collection.
3. Combined, the Suburban Splendor
Segment and the Boomburbs segment
represent 100% of the One Mile Zone,
71.3% of the Three Mile Zone, and 48% of
the Five Mile Zone. The 48% is signifi cant
in the Five Mile Zone because the
remaining percentage is comprised of 8
segment groups, all with small shares of
the total population.
The dominance of the Suburban Splendor
and Boomburbs tapestry segments
mean that the High Society LifeMode
neighborhood type is, and will be, the
dominant demographic characteristic of
Westlake’s growth. This is best illustrated
in Figure 26, where fl ags identifying
neighborhoods are dominated by the label
“High Society”. However, there is a segment
just west of Westlake’s center, labeled
Upscale Avenues, suggesting a somewhat
younger population desiring higher density
housing options. In that most of this area
is committed to commercial entitlement,
High Society remains the dominant
neighborhood type. Perhaps this area is
designated for Upscale Avenues because
of the pending commercial dominance.
Another dynamic that reinforces the
continued dominance of the High Society
neighborhood type is supported by its
robust growth nationally. As stated above,
this group has been increasing nationally
by more than 2 percent per year since
2000. In the Dallas Mertroplex that fi gure
should be increased by the amount that
the Metroplex growth rate exceeds the
national growth rate. The national growth
rate is 0.9% and the Metroplex (Dallas,
Tarrant, Collin, Denton, and Rockwall
counties) growth rate is 2.10%. Therefore,
the 2.0% national average for growth of
High Society neighborhood groups should
be adjusted to 4.6% in the Westlake area.
This is 69% of the Planning Growth Rate,
suggesting that right at 70% of the future
Westlake population will likely identify with
the High Society LifeMode group (about the
same representation within Westlake as now
exists within the Three Mile Zone). The future
dominance of High Society neighborhoods
raises several important planning issues:
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE30
1. Value Contextually Defi ned: The high
price point of houses for High Society
neighborhoods are supported by
contextual conditions that support
such value. Like Highland Park, these
include schools, close proximity of
similar houses, community amenities,
supporting institutions, sense of boundary
defi nition, and uniform quality of design/
construction. To date, Westlake, sitting
in a pastoral setting that defi nes it
apart from more dense neighbors with
Westlake Academy and well-designed
communities (such as Vaquero Estates),
offers suffi cient context to support high
value. This nurtures continued growth
of the High Society neighborhood
type. However, as Westlake fi lls in, it will
likely encounter conditions that could
augment that context.
2. Commercial Effects: The magnitude of
commercial development proposed by
existing entitlement could augment the
contextual attributes that support high
end residential value unless appropriate
design measures are taken within the
public domain to tie the two land
use types together in an organic and
meaningful whole. Remember that the
ESRI Tapestry Map showed Upscale
Avenues neighborhoods, not High
Society neighborhoods, in the vicinity of
the most-dense commercial entitlement.
Figure 26: Tapestries High Society Neighborhoods
ASSESSMENTS 31
3. Edge Effects: In areas south of Westlake
(Keller) it is likely that Upscale Avenues
neighborhoods will dominate, with
a median income about half the
projected Westlake median. Therefore,
higher density, lower value housing
will share an adjacency with the High
Society neighborhoods. In such cases,
attention to the public domain that
separates them must be considered in
order to sustain the contextual attributes
that defi ne value in Westlake. This is
particularly true when streets like Pearson
Road or Precinct Line Road become
regional in identity and less associated
with Westlake.
In summary, Westlake’s projected
population of 7,000 people will substantially
reside in High Society neighborhoods
(70%) mostly comprised of the Suburban
Splendor segment and the remaining 30%
will fl ow to the alternative housing choices
preferred by younger Boomburb segments.
Overall, Westlake will remain a high-income
township if it is it successful in preserving
the contextual assets that support value.
Otherwise, there could be expansion of
Urban Avenues neighborhoods (mostly
from the south) into the Westlake area.
Population Issue #5: The Effects of Population
Issues on Westlake Academy
Both the dominant population tapestry
segments that will comprise Westlake’s
future population and the magnitude of
population growth within the Westlake
region will infl uence Westlake Academy
enrollment. More specifi cally these
infl uences will likely be as follows:
Student Distribution as a Result of Dominant
Tapestry Trends: The growth of student
enrollment since 2000 is attributed to
the growth in the number of school age
children per household (18 in 2000 and 357
in 2010 according to data provided by SDS).
Figure 28 puts the total number of children
in Westlake at 357 with 58 of that number
being nursery/preschool/kindergarten
attendees. Therefore, the number of
children available to Westlake Academy
for enrollment in 2010 is 312 plus the small
portion of the 58 that is in Kindergarten,
making the total school age population
of 306, identifi ed by SDS, a reasonable
estimate. Of that 306 people, only 146 are
not in private schools, according to ACS,
and, therefore, available for attending
Westlake Academy. Again, this compares
favorably with the Academy’s 2010 census
stating that WR enrollment, excluding
employee exemptions, is 139. It would be
reasonable at this point to surmise that
some of these 146 students will attend other
public schools (Keller, etc.). Assuming that
15% attend other public schools, the WR
enrollee potential would be 125. If one
subtracts 125 from 139, the possible number
of grandchildren in the mix is 14, which is
about the same number of grandchildren
reported by Westlake Academy in the
2013-2014 census.
Such a calculation illustrates that without
recognizing the effect of the grandparent
exemption, the gross number hides the
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE32
true impact of such exemption. If we
compare 2010 statistics to 2013 statistics,
one can see that the numbers just do not
add up without an alternative explanation.
According to various studies, the Westlake
Resident Student enrollment in 2010 was
139, not counting employee exemption or
.46 students per household (139/302 = .46).
When one does the same calculation for
2013, the result is .54 students per household
(170 enrollees that are not admitted through
employee or grandparent exemption/314 =
.54). This is an extremely dramatic increase
in the students per household over a very
short period of time. The volatility of the
numeric change suggests that using a
simple “students-per-household” approach
to projection could lead to an outcome
that later data would not support. A more
detailed explanation of the relationship of
WR enrollees to number of households must
be considered with a better understanding
of the employee exemption and
“grandparent exemption effect”
The average number of children per
household with children in Westlake is 2.61
children (0-19) per household with the
majority of households being husband and
wife families (86.1% or 260 households).
2010 Census data also states that only
47.7% of the households have children
(144 households). Therefore, the remaining
signifi cant number of households (116
households) are childless, husband and wife
households or, more likely, empty nesters
when one considers the dominant tapestry
classifi cations discussed earlier.
Census information (as shown in Figure 27)
suggests that 51% of the Westlake population
is between 40 and 84. Therefore, 51% are
Figure 27: Population Pyramid
ASSESSMENTS 33
beyond child bearing years while only 9%
are between 25 and 39. ESRI also shows that
the population is evenly split between men
and women. Using the aforementioned
2.6 children per household (assuming 92
adults, age 25 to 39, in the present total
population will translate to 46 households),
the childbearing population would only
produce 119 children of which most will
be age 5 to 9. The Westlake Academy
enrollment for ages 5 to 9 is 127, of which,
14 are documented as grandchildren
and 27 are admitted under the employee
exemption (or moved outside primary
area), making the resident student total
86. This compares favorably with the 119
number, as some percentage will attend
other schools and some are younger than
5 or older than 9. To have a census ratio of
11.2% of the total population being children
ages 5 to 9 where the number of children
in that age group equaled the 86 children
currently enrolled at Westlake Academy
(80% capture rate), the total population
of children would have to be 416 or
slightly more than the current population
of children (391). The ASC data above in
Figure 28 suggests that approximately 38%
(in the grade 1-8 group) are attending
private school. Assuming that only 20% of
the younger children are attending private
school, then it would take a child (ages 5
to 9) population of 107 to fi ll the current
enrollment. This number of children should
be 28% of the total child population of 382.
This compares favorably with the current
391 children number. Therefore, Westlake
Academy is attracting 80% of the child age
5 to 9 population.
Most signifi cant in Figure 27 is that 51% of the
population is between the ages 40 and 84;
and according to the population tapestry
analysis, this may grow. According to
Westlake Academy, 39% to 68% of Westlake
households “may have grandchildren, and
such a high percentage of grandparents,
39% to 68%, is a wide range that compliments
the population Tapestry Analysis presented
earlier in this section. The dominant tapestry
analysis states that:
• The High Society Lifestyle Mode will
grow 2% annually (nationally). Applying
this rate of growth to Westlake 2010
Households (302), would bring the 2013
household total to 320 households or
nearly the current number (314).
• The “Suburban Splendor” and
“Boomburbs” households represent
71.2% of all households within a 3 mile
radius of the Town Hall and comprise the
largest percentage of the High Society
Lifestyle Mode Neighborhood Group.
• The average ages of the people in
these tapestry segment groups range
between 35 to 64 years old.
• The 35 to 64 age group, living in husband
and wife households are most likely to
Figure 28: ACS 2006-2010 Data
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE34
have older school age children (grade
6 through 12 and 91% of 9 through 12
attend private school) or be empty
nester grandparents.
• The new home closings, at the $1million
+ price point, projected by SDS increase
every year. This suggests that the infl ux of
Social Splendor and Boomburb Tapestry
groups will continue to dominate the
Westlake market (as suggested in the
earlier tapestry analysis) and such in-
migration will mean more enrollees
qualifying through the “Grandparent
Exemption”
• The number of grandchildren per
grandparent household is greater than
the number of children per household
and that the somewhat asymptotic
growth curve of WR enrollees per
household (2010 =.46, and 2013=.54)
is attributable to a greater number of
grandparents with higher numbers of
qualifi ed enrollees per household as a
result of the grandparent exemption.
If the now-empty-nester households have
2.6 children and their children have 2.6
children each, the potential enrollees
per grandparent household could be 6.8
instead of the 2.6 (the number of children
per household at Westlake’s 144 households
with children in 2010). Therefore, a projection
for Westlake enrollment should look at
the various Tapestry Segments within the
community and use a rate per household
that is based on its tapestry characteristics.
Using lot size and proximity to commercial
development as an indicator of price point,
the smaller and commercially exposed lots
will likely yield a home in the $500,000 to
$800,000 range, while larger lots will continue
to be over $1 million. The lower price point
would be households having children
under roof while the dominant percentage
Figure 29: Unit Price Point and Enrollment Trends
ASSESSMENTS 35
of higher price homes would potentially
be empty nesters, bringing grandchildren
to the school enrollment count. Figure 30
summarizes this approach and yields a
projected public school student availability
of 3,737 children.
*this is a high grandchild analysis and is less
than the SDS high growth scenario of 4,806
when projected out to 2036 at an annual
growth rate of 14.5% (the rate illustrated on
the enrollment growth projection graph),
meaning that it falls somewhere between
the high and moderate growth projections
at 10.7%.
Having factored out the private school
portion of eligible children and assuming
the Academy can attract 79.5% of the
eligible public school children (2,362) to
Westlake Academy, then the total potential
Westlake Academy enrollment (taking
into account the potential “grandparent
effect”) would be 1,876 enrollees. This
shows a potential increase of grandchildren
eligible for enrollment from 7% today (14
grandchildren out of a WR enrollment
of 184) to 17% (333 grandchildren out of
a potential WR enrollment eligibility of
1,876). This would mean that 35% of the 963
grandchildren (grandchildren of the 1116
households above) are attending Westlake
Academy. This seems reasonable as many
grandchildren will not live in the vicinity.
However, somewhere between now and
build-out, Westlake Academy will be at its
maximum capacity (probably in the 1,200-
1,500 student range, which is larger than St.
Marks or ESD). The total number of school
age children in the projected Westlake
population (6,927 as defi ned by entitlement
capacity) is 2,269, and the potentially
eligible grandchildren are some portion of
963 (estimated at 333) for a total of 2,602.
This means that approximately half of the
eligible enrollees will have to consider other
options. Therefore, Westlake Academy will
be faced with either a revision of present
day enrollment policies and/or facility
expansion.
Figure 30: Westlake Academy
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE36
Growth of Westlake Employment as a result
of Commercial Magnitude: The number of
city employees may grow substantially as
the commercial entitlements of the Westlake
Planned Development Ordinances (PD’s)
begin to go vertical. There are approximately
18,000,000 square feet of non-residential
development entitlement embedded within
the Westlake PD’s (Hotel-2,210,000 sf., Offi ce/
Industrial-13,314,980 sf., and Retail-3,127,368
sf.). The number of policemen and fi remen
required to adequately serve such a level
of development signifi cantly exceeds the
number that a city population of 6,927
would typically require. The following charts
present an approach to determination
of the number of policemen and fi remen
needed to serve the build-out of Westlake.
The number of fi remen is attained by using
a square foot per resident equivalent
to determine the number of equivalent
residents that the entitled non-residential
square footage represents.
Using the above analysis as a basis of
projecting future police and fi re need,
Westlake potentially requires 24 fi remen
and 37 policemen. However, the level of
development imposes other considerations
in determining this fi gure. These other
considerations include:
• Response time: Generally 5 to 6 minute
response times are desired. However,
the ability to attain such a response time
in a city with signifi cant traffi c choke
points will be challenged (see Circulation
Analysis). The total build-out of the non-
residential and residential entitlements
could generate as much as 300,000
vehicle trips per day in addition to the
externally generated trips accessing
Highway 114 through Westlake. This
may require more than one station, or
at least a substation, which translates
into additional employment. With an
average of 12 fi remen per station and
2 stations, Westlake will need 24 fi remen
(close to the number stated above).
Figure 31: Police Service Today
Figure 32: Police Service at Build-Out
ASSESSMENTS 37
• Floor Area Ratio (horizontal spread of
development): The low building height
(typically 5 to 6 stories) that would
house non-residential square footage
will spread development out over a
large area that may require additional
emergency personnel to adequately
serve.
• Support facilities (such as training
facilities): With the signifi cantly more
complex physical condition of such a
large commercial center, more staff will
may needed for training purposes.
In addition to emergency services, the
general size of city administrative and public
maintenance staff will also have to increase.
If one assumes that city employment will
look like Highland Park employment, then
the total number of employees at build-
out would be 120 (Highland Park total
employees) less 60 (60 non-administrative
public safety employees) for a net
employment of 60, plus the 53 projected
Westlake public safety employees, for a total
Westlake employment of 113 employed
in public safety (fi remen and policemen).
113 employees is a 364% increase over the
present employment of 31, not counting
Westlake Academy.
Campus Isolation as a result of Traffi c
Generation and Commercial Development:
The fi nal impact of population and
commercial growth on Westlake Academy
is the setting of its location. The pastoral
landscape that brackets the present
academy site would see signifi cant
residential and commercial development.
In addition, the Future Land Use Plan
shows Westlake Academy being served
by commercial streets as Dove Road
is realigned (see Circulation Analysis).
Therefore, attention must be paid to the
Figure 33: Fire Service Today
Figure 34: Fire Service at Build-Out
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE38
view from, and character of, the roadway
approaching Westlake Academy so that
the pastoral setting is maintained.
CONCLUSION
This assessment has considered the issue
of population and demographics and
generally portrays a future of about 6,927
persons (the build-out capacity), which can
be attained in approximately 2036. Most
of this population will reside in households
typifying the Suburban Splendor Tapestry
Group, and that such demographic
clustering will impact enrollment at Westlake
Academy. In addition, the attainment of
the build-out population in a context of high
demand will appreciate property values
and, thereby, possibly trigger a “stimulative
condition”, which could move the Town
toward a state of instability. Finally, the
$500,000 to $1 million+ market necessitates
that a certain amount of contextual support
exists in order to maintain property values.
However, such a context, as it exists today,
may be augmented by the high level of
commercialization planned for the Town
unless signifi cant investment in a public
domain that mitigates potential confl icts is
made.
ASSESSMENTS 39
2. EXISTING CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT
Introduction:
The Existing Conditions Analysis considers
the relationship between history, culture,
natural setting, and built fabric that uniquely
defi nes Westlake. In the course of this
assessment, naturally occurring, organic
sub-districts will be identifi ed as well as the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
constraints that this unique confl uence of
conditions creates.
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE40
Analysis of Historic Aerials and Changes
Over Time:
This analysis of Westlake starts with Westlake’s
tenure as a host to a ranch belonging to
Dallas Attorney, Glen Turner. The pasture
and livestock management decisions made
during this period create a template upon
which future uses of the land are, and will
be, built. Mr. Turner acquired he Circle “T”
ranch property in 1956. Therefore, taking a
look at historic aerials from 1956 to present
should reveal how rural beginnings translate
into present conditions.
1956 Aerial: The aerial photograph seen in
Figure 35 was taken in 1956 (the year of Mr.
Turner’s acquisition). Using the reference
roadways, highlighted in yellow, one can
see the landscape before most of these
roadways were built. Within this photograph,
there are numerous straight lines. Because
straight lines do not exist in nature, such
lines must be fence lines expressing crossed
fenced pastures and/or property lines. This
means that the consolidated pasture lands
of Circle ‘T” Ranch were not present, for
the most part. Compare this to the present
condition where many of these internal lines
have been removed and pasture lands
consolidated in the yet un-built western
portions of Westlake (currently located
mostly in Planned Development 3). In the
eastern and southern portions of Westlake,
many of these original internal fence and
Figure 35: 1956 Historic Aerial
ASSESSMENTS 41
property lines, visible in the 1956 aerial, now
express themselves as project limits. The
boundary lines of Glenwyck Farms, Terra
Bella, and Vaquero are clearly seen in the
1956 land patterns. This is most likely related
to the existence of Dove Road at that
time and the move to purchase property
along existing roadways in the early days
of Westlake Development. One can even
see the Vaquero entry drive in 1956 which
then was a ranch road. The south to north
roads fl owing into the Westlake area in
1956 are the same north to south roads that
residential development, to date, clings to
areas west of Precinct Line. These roads
include Roanoke Road, Ottinger Road, CR
4041, and Precinct Line Road. Therefore,
Dove Road east of Precinct Line Road
and the south to north rural roads west of
Precinct Line Road became the framework
of development within Westlake seen as
early as 1979 and defi nitely in full swing
by 1990 with roads like Lazy Lane and
Greenwood Lane being completely built
out. By 2001, the grading work for Vaquero is
also well under way. The signifi cance of this
infi ll pattern is that residential development,
to date, is placed along a general north
to south grain infi lling smaller parcels lying
between the county and rural roads fl owing
into Westlake and, thereby, internalizing
natural drainage ways running between
such roads.
In 1956, Turner Lake was not yet built, and
the location of Turner Lake was then a
point of confl uence for two active creek
ways; complete with well-defi ned bed
and bank as well as a robust riparian plant
community. This active creek system
fl owed across the right-of-way of Highway
114, which was then a small two-lane rural
highway that connected with a primary
creek system now fl owing north of the
Trophy Club. Today, that creek system has
been signifi cantly altered, and most of the
riparian plant community is gone. Once
active creek ways are now compromised
by in-line detention and check dams. The
point of creek confl uence is now the location
of Turner Lake and the natural connection
across Highway 114 replaced by a spillway
that leads water to a piped connection.
That pathway from spillway to inlet shows
signifi cant erosion in the present day aerial.
The 1956 aerial shows a continuous branch
of the converging creeks extending to
the south, between Ottinger and Stone
Hollow Rd. By 2001, this system element
is signifi cantly compromised with inline
detention, loss of riparian plant communities
and physical discontinuities. Much of the
plant community that populates the creek
way within Circle “T” has been converted
to pasture land. After 1956, there is a
continued succession of removing forested
areas for conversion to pasture land.
Without the entourage of natural features,
the ability of the creek way to infl uence
future development (north of Dove Road)
in the same way that the streets infl uenced
past development (south of Dove Road) is
weakened, and the PD Development Plan
refl ects a new development orientation,
which is discussed later in this analysis.
Among preset day property lines that are
visible in the 1956 aerial as fence lines, is
an east to west fence line running along
what is presently the northern property
line of Fidelity Investments, and extending
west, along the northern property line of
Deloitte and the northern building line of
Westlake Academy, to a fence corner
that exists today and is visible on the 1956
aerial. In that this fence line has already
become the northern boundary of present
day development, it will likely become the
southern boundary of future development,
thereby bringing the agricultural past into
the future. It is already the southern line of
the R-1 residentially zoned area surrounded
by PD-3. If this line has such infl uence,
it should be recognized in the design of
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE42
development as Westlake matures. While
the fence line is still there, a lot of the tree
canopy along its alignment is now gone.
The retention lakes now west of Fidelity
Investments can be seen as “under
construction” in the 1956 aerial. These and
other water bodies, such as Turner Lake,
were constructed as part of the ranch
conversion, making stock ponds for feces
pasture areas.
Finally, there is a large forested area that
currently lies south of Solana Boulevard
that is visible in 1956, which has the same
confi guration as one sees today.
The 1963 aerial, Figure 36, shows some
important changes from 1956, which were
made in a few short years. The fi rst of these
is the construction of Turner Lake and other
retention ponds for stock watering purposes.
Other changes include:
• A loss of tree cover visible in the 1956
photograph. This refl ects a consolidation
of pasture land in accordance with ranch
management practices and begins to
set up the development template of PD
3.
• Various barns and ranch structures
are now visible, further establishing the
ranch consolidation. The most important
structures are the ranch house and house
lying at the end of the Turner Lake canal.
As of yet, signifi cant residential development
has not entered the Westlake Area.
Figure 37 shows Westlake in 1970. There
Figure 36: 1963 Historic Aerial
ASSESSMENTS 43
is not much change from earlier images
except that trees on the present day
Westlake Academy site are gone. Note
that there is still no signifi cant residential
development within the Westlake area.
Also, it is noteworthy to point out that further
pasture consolidation within the Circle “T”
Ranch has further obscured old parcel lines
that were visible on earlier aerials because
of vegetative differentiations at the old
fence lines. However, ranch management
within the Circle “T” boundary has begun
to disperse the historic foot print of previous
ownership.
Figure 38 shows Westlake in 1990. While
Figure 37: 1970 Historic Aerial
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE44
not much has changed, there is residential
development beginning to enter the
Westlake area from the south along such
streets as Lazy Lane. The early 90’s was
the beginning of residential development
in the Southlake/Colleyville area with such
projects as South Ridge Lakes (along 1709).
There is a steady march of housing infi ll
northward along CR 4041 and entering
Westlake by 1990.
Figure 39 shows Westlake in 2004. Westlake
Academy is visible, Vaquero Estates is
Figure 38: 1990 Historic Aerial
ASSESSMENTS 45
complete (started in 2001), and substantially
more residential development (which has
progressed north along the south to north
roads mentioned earlier) at the southern
edge of Circle “T” due to Dove Road,
which is seen here as a residential break-
off line. Now clearly visible is an area of
consolidated pastures and system of stock
ponds.
In addition to more residential development,
Solana North and South are visible, as well
as the fi rst phase of Fidelity investment.
This additional development begins to
suggest a potential, and emerging confl ict
of, residential development (running
generally north to south) and commercial
development (generally running east to
west, along the Highway 114 frontage).
Therefore, whatever is developed north of
Dove Road will defi ne the interface between
the north/south residential and the east/
west commercial. Whether such future
development will successfully reconcile
the different patterns into a consolidated
whole is a function of design. South of Dove
Road, roadways defi ne the direction of and
edges of development. However, north of
Dove Road amenity systems will defi ne the
direction of and edges of development,
according to the Planned Development
instruments.
2004 is also the year that Westlake’s Land
Use Plan (Figure 40) was adopted and
Figure 39: 2004 Historic Aerial
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE46
it illustrates the above point. In this plan,
Dove Road is the termination of residential
development patterns along south to north
roads and serves as the introduction of
a new development reference, north of
Dove Road, namely the public golf course
system and Highway 114 (which run east to
west). With the exception of the R-1 zoning
area (north side of Westlake Academy),
there is no residential development north of
the golf course, making the golf course a
residential growth boundary. In 2004 and
today, Westlake Academy is served by
Dove road, still a rural roadway and part
of the pastoral setting that the Academy
enjoys. However, in the 2004 Land Use Plan,
Dove Road is realigned in an east/west
direction, south of the Academy, becoming
part of the general east/west grain of future
development and making a residential
road system that is separate from the non-
residential road system, except for two
points of connection. As a result, Westlake
Academy is served by a commercial street,
which is a signifi cant transformation of the
current setting. Also, southern residential
areas, including Southlake and Keller,
seeking access to the commercial uses
fronting Highway 114 will fl ow to Dove Road
via routes like CR 4041 having to fl ow east or
west to Precinct Line or a future commercial
road before returning east or west to the
commercial center. The discontinuation of
south to north roads north of Dove makes
Dove a primary arterial in terms of future
traffi c volume coming into Westlake from
the south.
Finally, the augmentation of natural creek
ways that began with the creation of
pastures and stock ponds will have to remain
in order to accommodate storm water
run-off from future development. The 100
year, 24 hr. storm event in the Dallas area is
projected to deliver 9.5 inches of rain. At a
.4 to .45 FAR level of development, the 1,091
acres of commercial entitlement would
require detention capability ranging from
Figure 40: Existing Land Use Plan
ASSESSMENTS 47
267 to 775 acre feet. A potential detention
requirement in the middle of this range (521
acre feet) would be accommodated in
116 acres of water at an average depth
of 4.5 feet. The present level of detention
(counting Turner Lake, the two lakes at
Fidelity Investments, the detention lake
at Deloitte, and one detention pond on
the far west side of Westlake) is roughly
19 acres. Therefore, an additional 100 +/-
acres of water located in logical storm
water collection areas along existing creek
ways or other low areas will dramatically
change the current creek way system.
Further, metered fl ow from detention
areas must recognize the extent to which
the Trophy Club has restricted fl ood plain
capacity downstream, which can become
more restricted by future development.
Therefore, a downstream sensitivity to any
rise in water levels caused by development
in Westlake can further infl uence the
magnitude of detention capacity that has
to be maintained in Westlake. The following
quote from a technical memorandum
prepared by Gresham Smith partners
describes the detention situation today:
“Regional detention facilities are a viable
means to mitigate the increase fl ows
resulting from new development. Low
impact development best management
practices could also be used in concert
with detention. Modifi cations to existing
dams, restricting the size of openings
at new bridges, utilizing existing lakes,
wetlands, and streams can be utilized for
means of providing new storm water runoff
detention. The 2000 drainage study showed
that fully developed conditions within the
Marshall and Kirkwood Watersheds would
require large detention facilities, 52 acres
for the Marshal Watershed and 17 acres for
the Kirkwood Watershed. The costs could
be borne by the upstream communities,
including the City of Keller, The City of Fort
Worth, and the City of Southlake, where
increased fl ows originate. Development
within the Town of Westlake could
potentially impact Trophy Club and the City
of Southlake. A closer look at current PDs is
warranted to further refi ne the amount of
required detention in the future (not within
the scope of this effort). Based on 1091 acres
of commercial entitlements and a FAR of .4
to .45, crude methods of estimating future
detention requirements indicate a range
from approximately 200 to 775 acre-feet of
additional detention.”
Perhaps the most signifi cant change for
Westlake is reorganization of the natural
mosaic that exists today (Figure 41) to what
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE48
east to west development future that
will also redirect the natural grain of the
community, changing its historic relationship
to development to a threshold of change
from residential to commercial. However,
the dramatic need for increased detention
capacity may necessitate such change
anyway, making design more critical than
ever.
will likely exist in the future. Based on the
above analysis, the historic south to north
fl ow of water in six complete creek ways
has, through agricultural land management
improvements, been reduced and much
of the riparian plant community removed.
However, the 1990 aerial (Figure 38) shows
a number of the riparian plan clusters still in
existence, refl ecting a natural pattern that
reinforces the south to north growth pattern
of Westlake development to date. By
2013 the only riparian communities left are
those within residentially developed areas,
with the exception of Solana. The earlier
described redirection of future commercial
development from the south/north historic
pattern to an east/west future pattern
means that the replacement landscape
(open areas within and fl anking the large
public golf system) will also be arranged in an
east/west pattern. Planning will be needed
to make sure that the natural system that
once linked the community across its south
to north width will be more than simply a
barrier that separates commercial and
residential development.
The above analysis of historic aerials and
natural systems refl ects a south to north
development history coming against an
ASSESSMENTS 49
Figure 41: 2013 Historic Aerial
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE50
Analysis of Zoning and Planned Development
Entitlements and Their Relationship to the
Present Condition:
Westlake’s most recent Zoning Map, seen
in Figure 42, shows the location and zoning
of each parcel within city limits. Zoning is a
police power put in place to restrict the uses
allowed, height and density of individual
parcels in order to protect public health,
safety and welfare. Figure 8 reveals the
most current zoning allocations, whether
it be straight zoning for residential, offi ce,
industrial, etc. or Planned Development
(PD). A Planned Development is a special
zoning category that typically allows a mix of
uses and design standards beyond straight
zoning categories. Planned Developments,
like all other zoning, must be allotted through
the Town’s approval process. Entitlements
already in place via approved Planned
Developments can be summarized in the
following assessment.
Figure 43 summarizes land areas by land
use and the magnitude of development
rights (expressed as square feet or units)
conveyed by categorical zoning and
Planned Development Ordinances. This
is an important summation to see, as it
suggests the internal and external pressures
that Westlake must be positioned to address
at some point in its near future.
Figure 43 reveals the potential of a
substantially different city than what exists
today. The resident population capacity at
2,046 single family units and 330 multi-family
units is 6,846 (assuming a 90% occupancy
in the multifamily and 2.1 persons per MF
household and 93% occupancy in single
family and 3.28 persons per SF household).
As discussed in the earlier population
analysis, this number represents the
population capacity as established by
current zoning, which the Town of Westlake,
Figure 42: Current Zoning Map
ASSESSMENTS 51
growing at 7.21% annually will come up
against by approximately 2036. While this
is still a relatively small population residing
in low residential density, the magnitude
of commercial square footage presents
a dramatic contrast. The chart above
reveals total permitted rights of 18.5 million
square feet of non-residential development
(hotel use at 3,533 rooms, offi ce/Industrial/
Educational at 13,314,980 square feet and
retail at 3,127,368 square feet). This is a
signifi cant urban center. This much square
footage on 1,091 acres is more than half of
the square footage in downtown Dallas (30
Figure 43: Unit and Area Breakdown
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE52
million sf.), sitting on approximately 1,000
acres. However, downtown Dallas has a
permitted FAR of 20:1 while Westlake has an
average permitted FAR of .45:1. Therefore,
the .45:1 could yield a greater street level
density. Properly designed, such density
could create a truly unique urban street
space. However, the greater challenge is to
reconcile the urban density of commercial
entitlement with the pastoral scale and
density of single-family development. The
public golf element of the Future land
Use Plan must be porous to north/south
movement so that it does not become a
barrier; it must be more than a northern
growth boundary for residential use.
In addition to density, future non-residential
development will bring signifi cant non-
resident populations to the city. Large malls
across the United States such as Woodfi eld
Mall (Shamburg, IL) and the Houston
Galleria attract approximately .04 people
per square foot per day (source: Travel and
Leisure). Therefore, 3,127,368 sf. of retail will
attract approximately 125,000 shoppers
per day. In addition, the 13,314,980 square
feet of offi ce/offi ce-industrial/educational
uses (if 85% leased) will house an employee
population of 37,726 people. Finally, 1,300
hotel rooms at 60% occupancy (the State
of Texas average) will host 1,462 people
considering percentage of triple and
double occupancy (source: Room Division
Basic Theories by Eugene Win) and require
910 employees. Therefore, the total non-
resident population per day could be as
high as approximately 165,000 people per
day. This is more than half of the resident
population of Westlake, Keller, Southlake,
Trophy Club, and Roanoke combined.
The intensity of Westlake’s commercial area
makes it an urban center to the surrounding
populations. Figure 45 above illustrates the
level of population concentration.
Note that the largest population
concentration is within the 15 minute drive-
time window (295,521). This is about the
population of Corpus Christi, Texas, and, as
discussed in the population analysis section,
the 15-minute drive time window offi ce
workforce population (140,000 people)
could easily fi ll the offi ce space offerings
of Westlake. Also, a general rule of thumb
Figure 44: Population Settings
ASSESSMENTS 53
is that a population of about 250,000 is
required to support the magnitude of retail
generally associated with a mall.
The notion of Westlake as a commercial
center, serving a tributary population of
over 200,000 people is dramatically different
from the pastoral identity that currently
prevails and is perhaps the greatest
planning challenge going forward. Traffi c,
density/scale, urbanization, and east/
west orientation of development will have
to co-exist with rural roadways, pastoral
landscapes, low-density housing, and
south/north orientation of community.
Of particular importance to understanding
the future of Westlake is the relationship
to Westlake’s commercial land supply to
the land supply available in the general
market. Figure 44 above summarized how
the land area of Westlake and surrounding
communities breaks down in terms of Land
Use and the percent of total land area
represented by each use.
The table clearly shows that while the
amount of non-residential square footage
is high, the percent of total land area
devoted to commercial use is relatively
typical at 25% (a fi gure consistent with
the commercial distribution in many Texas
cities).
Figure 45: Westlake Land Uses
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE54
Figure 46 above shows how Westlake’s
land areas compare to the distribution in
neighboring cities:
1. Total commercial is only 4% of the Trophy
Club Land Supply.
2. Total commercial is 30% of the Roanoke
Land Supply:
3. Total commercial is 12% of the Keller
Land Supply.
4. Total commercial is 14% of the Southlake
Land Supply.
In this comparison, Westlake’s distribution of
52% residential and 25% commercial is similar
to Roanoke (about the same land area
as Westlake) at 30% commercial and 57%
residential/agriculture (agriculture is likely to
go to residential use), and Southlake at 60%
residential and 14% commercial. However,
both Keller and Trophy Club are dominated
by residential use (86% and 67% residential
use respectively with Trophy Club’s large
amount of land area set aside for open
space at 22%), with small allocation to
commercial (12% and 4% respectively). At
present, Southlake is approaching residential
build-out and getting close to commercial
build-out. As the commercial market
comes close to absorption of available
prime commercial space, that market will
jump westward along the Highway 114
corridor with Westlake being the next viable
location (given the residential dominance
in Trophy Club). Also note that Southlake
has a commercial land area almost twice
the size of Westlake that represents only half
the percentage of total land area within
the City. This allows the residential fabric of
Southlake to have greater presence in the
face of commercial square footage that
will likely exceed 14,000,000 sf. at build-out.
With commercial land availability beyond
Southlake limited in Keller and Trophy Club,
Westlake can expect to be the target of
commercial growth. In addition, with the
exhaustion of residential land supply for
upper price point custom builders in both
Figure 46: Surrounding Land Areas Graph
ASSESSMENTS 55
Colleyville and Southlake, Westlake will likely
see pressures to host housing development
at price points below the $1million+ price
point that currently dominates.
In this analysis of entitlement and land
area, it is clear that Westlake is truly
unique in its dominance of the $1million+
home market and the magnitude of non-
residential square footage compared to
neighboring cities. The former reinforces
the notion of a unique township while the
latter reinforces the notion of economic
integration. Economic patterns are not
sensitive to political boundaries as the
economic organ is defi ned by transaction
and the political organ is defi ned by
legal standing. Comprehensive plans are
typically responsive to the political organ,
taking into account only a spatial slice
of the economic picture that falls within
political boundaries. However, such a view
may not be in the best interest of Westlake
as its commercial scale makes Westlake
a commercial center for an economic
envelope covering several neighboring
communities. The regional-centric view
brings important issues into focus that the
Town-centric view does not. These issues
include:
• External traffi c fl ows,
• Externally generated demand on
internal facilities and resources, and
• Relationship of town to region WITHIN
Westlake.
With regard to the last point, Westlake is
set up to accomplish this reconciliation of
town and region at the public golf amenity,
which is both the northern limit of residential
growth and generally the southern
boundary of commercial use.
The Tax Revenue Implications of Future
Development:
The following analysis investigates the ad
valorem performance of Westlake today
and Westlake at build-out. The importance
of such investigation is to determine how
present and future development positions
the Town to build the public domain
necessary to manage growth. At the start,
there are several terms that should be
defi ned as follows:
• Ad Valorem Revenue: Every cIty and
town must have suffi cient ad valorem
(residential and commercial) revenue
to fund debt supported by the full faith
and credit of the municipality. Where
such assurance is committed, such as
general obligation bonds, the persons to
whom the assurance is given have the
expectation that the municipality would
increase taxes, if ultimately necessary,
to meet the debt obligation. This is only
possible with property taxes as sales
taxes are capped by state law and
often already committed to such things
as economic development.
• General Fund: This is the city budget
for operations of city departments and
facilities. The general fund typically
provides for services and programs and
is, therefore, a good measure of the level
of support for a particular quality of life
level. The Planning Team maintains that
a typical Texas municipality should be
able to support 60% to 65% of its general
fund through ad valorem revenue, as
such levels of ad valorem income allows
the municipality the option to substitute
other revenue for general fund purposes
and divert ad valorem revenue to
support debt.
• Residential Ad Valorem Revenue: This
is the town revenue derived from taxes
on the value of residential property. The
taxable value of property is set by the
county appraisal district. In Westlake,
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE56
this tax equals $0.15684 per $100 dollars
of taxable value.
• Commercial Ad Valorem Revenue: This
is the town revenue derived from taxes
on the value of non-residential property.
The taxable value of property is set by
the county appraisal district. In Westlake,
this tax equals $0.15684 per $100 dollars
of taxable value.
• Fees, Fines, and Finances (3 F’s): This
is the town revenue derived from the
fi nes leveed by municipal court and
other enforcement, the fees derived
from permits/applications/other
administrative services and the Finances
that include investment income/interest.
• Locally Supported Commercial: Typically
the residential ad valorem revenue
of a city falls short of the general fund
needs of a municipality because on
average every $1.00 of ad valorem
revenue fl owing from residential land use
incurs $1.33 of service costs. Therefore,
commercial (non-residential) land uses
(costing $0.33 for every $1.00 of revenue)
become necessary to close the “tax
gap” between what residential costs (in
terms of services) and the ad valorem
revenue it generates. However, a local
population typically is not large enough
to support the scale of retail necessary
to close this gap; meaning that regional
patronage (imported spending)
becomes critically important to most
Texas municipalities. The amount of non-
residential development that is locally
supported is called “Locally Supported
Commercial”.
• Regional Dependence: The commercial
ad valorem base needed to close the
above described tax gap that is not
supported by the local population
but rather supported by people living
outside the municipality and shopping
and working within the municipal limits.
Figure 47 compares three cities, Westlake,
Highland Park and Rockwall, in terms of
Figure 47: Ad Valorem 3 Cities
ASSESSMENTS 57
their ad valorem contributions to their
general funds. Highland Park demonstrates
a current population of 8,600 people and
average home value of $1,400,000.00,
while Westlake at build-out population
is right at 6,800 people and the average
home value at present is #1,100,000.
Rockwall can be viewed as a city with
impressive demographics that generally
conforms to State of Texas averages in
terms of ad valorem performance relative
to the general fund. The vertical bar above
each city/town name represents the
general fund as approved for FY 2013-2014.
Each vertical bar is divided into four color
segments, scaled to refl ect the percent of
total general fund requirement that can
be supported by current levels of revenue
from Fees/Fines/Finances, Residential Ad
Valorem, and Commercial Ad Valorem.
Considering Figure 47, there are several key
comparisons that reveal where Westlake
is today and set up the analysis for where
Westlake will be at build-out:
• Westlake: The vertical bar indicates
that the 2014 general fund is $4,721,781,
which equates to a per capita cost of
services and governance (the general
fund) of $4,584.00 per capita. This is
signifi cantly higher than the State of
Texas norms, which set a per capita cost
of services and governance at $600.00.
However, investigation of the revenues
fl owing into the general fund reveal that
Westlake enjoys signifi cant income fl ows
from non-tax sources, making the per
capita burden not as burdensome as
the fi gures suggest. Note in the diagram
above that the contribution to total
general fund coming from Fees/Fines/
Finances is right at 40%. This is higher than
most Texas municipalities, which vary
between 12% and 20%. Therefore, the 3F’s
and “Other Revenues” constitute 71.3%
of the total General Fund Obligation.
With Westlake’s current ad valorem tax
rate being lower than most Texas cities
(Westlake rate = .15684), it becomes
necessary to serve the general fund with
other revenue sources.
Typically the cost of services to residential
land use and the ad valorem revenue
derived from residential land use (taxed
at typical rates) do not balance out
until the taxable value of the residential
property rises above $350,000.00.
Certainly Westlake has residential values
well above the $350,000 threshold.
However, the low tax rate pushes this
threshold higher. At current tax rates, a
$1,100,000.00 house in Westlake yields
the same revenue as a $286,000.00
residence taxed at a rate of .60 (a rate
common to many Metroplex cities).
The benefi cial rate enjoyed by the
citizens of Westlake makes it necessary
to rely on signifi cant commercial
contribution to ad valorem revenues.
Note that the commercial contribution
is approximately 17.2% ($814,424) of the
General Fund Obligation. Therefore,
the residential ad valorem contribution
overall is 28.7% of the General Fund
obligation. This is below the state norm
of 55% to 65%. This will change as the
levels of commercial development
within the Town rise. Perhaps greater
commercial intensity is necessary to
keep ad valorem rates at the present
low level. Westlake already imports
demand to fi ll the roughly 2,200,000 sf.
of offi ce and commercial space within
the Town, as commercial population
required is approximately 7,300 people.
While the sum of contributions to the
general fund fl owing from the 3F’s
and ad valorem revenues support the
general fund at a level that compares
favorably with Texas norms, the ad
valorem portion of that contribution is
unusually low. This necessitates greater
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE58
dependence other income sources and
limits the Town’s bonding ability, which
may be necessary to build appropriate
growth management infrastructure and
amenities.
• Highland Park: With a current population
of 8,600, Highland Park has established a
general fund of $19,804,395 for FY 2013-
2014. This equates to a per capita cost
of services and governance equaling
$2,475.00. Note the 3F’s portion of the
vertical bar that contributes only 13% of
the general fund obligation. This is more
typical of Texas cities and likely refl ects
a more developed city. The residential
ad valorem segment of the vertical bar
contributes approximately 37% of the
ad valorem obligation, which is also
very typical of Texas cities. However,
the commercial segment is relatively
low (13.2%) yielding a total contribution
to the general fund obligation of 50.2%,
which is below Texas norms. Normally,
a city would reach its regional retail
to improve this number, but the close
association of Dallas and University Park
promotes commercial leakage from
Highland Park, making the city more
dependent on other income sources.
By contrast, Westlake will be a commercial
center in its economic region, thereby
enjoying a considerable amount of retail
and commercial demand coming from
outside its corporate limits.
At 8,600 people, Highland Park becomes
a precursor of Westlake at build-out. As
such, it suggests that the current cost
of services and governance per capita
(presently $4,584.00) could settle out
at $2,475.00. Note that the per capita
general fund cost for Highland Park is less
than that of Westlake while its population
is higher, and the general fund cost for
Rockwall are less than Highland Park
with a higher population. This suggests
that as the population increases the per
capita cost of services and governance
goes down, provided that the city is
performing to normative ad valorem
standards. Therefore, the future cost of
services and governance for Westlake
at build-out could be $16,941,375.00,
which is signifi cantly higher than today.
• Rockwall: Rockwall’s current population
is 39,322 people, and the per capita cost
of services and governance is $612.00
(conforming to Texas norms). The
segmentation of the general fund vertical
bar refl ects an economically vibrant
community. Note that the residential
and non-residential contributions to
the general fund obligation totals 71%,
which is actually higher than most cities
and suggests that Rockwall is better
positioned for debt. In addition, the
3F’s contribution to the general fund
obligation (23%) is slightly higher than
Texas norms (12% to 20%), suggesting
that there is considerable permitting
and other growth management
activities taking place. Note that the
3F’s contribution of Westlake, Highland
Park, and Rockwall is relatively close in
magnitude despite vast differences in
population. For example, Highland Park
has a population that is 754% larger than
Westlake but its 3F revenues are only 29%
greater. The same is true for Rockwall.
Therefore, it is likely that the future 3F
contribution in Westlake will represent a
smaller percentage of total contribution.
Assuming that Westlake performs slightly
higher than Highland Park because
of its commercial dominance, the 3F
contribution could be $2,541,207 (15%).
ASSESSMENTS 59
Figure 48 projects Westlake’s ad valorem
performance at build-out and the picture
looks much more balanced. Note that the
total general fund obligation is $19,804,395,
which equates to a per capita cost of
$2,900.00 (very much like Highland Park
today). Also, note that the 3F contribution
to that obligation is only 15%, refl ecting the
dynamic that this number decreases as a
proportion of total as population increases
(discussed previously). The residential
ad valorem contribution is $3,850,736.00
(22%) and the commercial ad valorem
contribution is $5,929,481 (35%). This means
that the combined 3F and ad valorem
contributions are 72%, which is right in the
middle of the range recommended by the
Planning Team.
The distribution illustrated in Figure 49
in combination with the earlier charts
explaining the magnitude of square
footage represented by non-residential
entitlements illustrates the extent to which
low rate assessment on ad valorem value
necessitates commercial square footage to
close the tax gap. If ad valorem rates were
ever to rise, then the amount of commercial
presence in Westlake would not be so
important to the overall ad valorem picture.
Figure 48: Westlake AV Build-Out
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE60
Home Value Diversifi cation of Abutting
Home Markets
Figure 49 illustrates the mean home sale
values in the various cities surrounding
Westlake. As Westlake approaches build-
out, the infl uence of community adjacency
on home values may increase; precipitating
fragmentation of Westlake’s currently
homogeneous housing market ($1 million+
price point). The diagram shows that
Southlake (with home sales ranging from
$529,990 to $1,084,990) reinforces home
values in Westlake’s southerly and easterly
portions (most adjacent to Southlake).
However, as land to the south and west begins
to fi ll out with residential development, it is
likely that Keller, Roanoke, and Trophy Club
will set value references for these portions
of the Town. Despite such infl uences,
Westlake will always be signifi cantly higher
than neighboring markets but the $1 million
+ price point could move to the $500,000-
$800,000 range.
The emergence of other price points
in Westlake is also supported by the
fast diminishing residential land supply
in Southlake and Colleyville. Once lot
availability is gone in these markets, custom
builders will seek other locations attractive
to their market segment. The easiest choice
for expansion of such markets is Westlake.
At a price point of $800,000, land prices
could approach $200,000 for the smaller
lots allowed under existing entitlement
(15,340 sq. ft.). If such lots can be sold for
$200,000, then the price per square foot is
$13.00. Land at these prices is competitive
with small offi ce land values.
Among the various product markets that
Westlake will serve (Residential, Retail,
Hospitality, and Offi ce); Offi ce is the most
frequently overbuilt and fl uctuating. In
addition, Offi ce faces the greatest area
competition. Therefore, it is highly possible
that offi ce zoned land further from the 114
Figure 49: Home Value Diversifi cation
ASSESSMENTS 61
frontage (south of the golf course) could
be considered for residential rezoning and
that the price points in these rezoned areas
would be lower than $1 million +.
Figure 50, prepared by RCLCO, summarizes
values in neighboring Cities.
In conclusion, it appears that Westlake
can maintain its low rates as long as it has
signifi cant commercial development within
the city, as refl ected by the magnitude
of commercial entitlement. However,
the presence of such commercial
development dramatically redirects the
historic grain and orientation of the Town,
establishing a commercial center for an
economic region. Reconciliation of the two
Westlake characters and maintenance of
the current low ad valorem rates will require
a design-based vision of how the patterns
are reconciled in a natural matrix which is
responsive to both the Town’s history and its
future.
Figure 50: New Home Communities
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE62
3. DEVELOPMENT SUITABILITY ASSESSMENT
DEVELOPMENT SUITABILITY ANALYSIS:
Part One
Westlake is host to a dramatically pastoral
landscape that has evolved through a
process of ranch management within a
rolling topography blessed with acidic/
sandy soils. The earlier existing conditions
analysis chronicled the history of Westlake’s
transformation to the current pastoral
setting. The following analysis seeks to create
taxonomy of development conditions, as
defi ned by land characteristics, ranging
from the most suitable for development to
the least suitable for development.
Land characteristics are generally
determined according to location within
the land transect illustrated in Figure 51.
This analysis is based on fi ve conditions, all
of which have bearing on determination
of where locations of greater natural
encumbrance are located. These
conditions are:
Figure 51: Land Transect
ASSESSMENTS 63
• Waterways: There are fi ve primary
water-ways within the Town of Westlake,
running in a northerly direction,
functioning as tributaries to Lake
Grapevine. These waterways divide
the Town into fi ve zones aligned in a
north to south direction and drain into
the fl anking channels. Each zone will
ultimately contain both commercial
and residential land uses. These fi ve
zones are cited as planning zones
in the comprehensive plan process.
Historically, these water-ways nurtured
umbrageous riparian communities that
found appropriate habitat in the deeper,
more hydrated soils. Additionally, some
water-ways have been developed for
ranch lakes and detention ponds. These
include Turner Lake, lakes near Fidelity
Investments, and others. The waterways
will continue to be extremely important
to Westlake, as it develops because they
are essential to satisfaction of detention
requirements associated with planned
development. Future detention within
these water ways will be between 500
and 700 acre feet. The waterways are
illustrated in Figure 52.
Figure 52: Waterways
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE64
• Lowlands: Lowlands are generally the
fl ood plain areas that fl ank the waterways
and additional land area that generally
contains the alluvial soils associated
with fl ood plains. Because alluvial soils
are transported and deposited by
water fl ow, they lay in areas of fl atter
topography generally formed by the
build-up of deposit over time and
ranging from less than 1% to less than 3%.
The structure of alluvial soils is generally
more silty than other soil structures
and, therefore, more susceptible to
erosion. This makes the ground plane
defi ned by those soil deposits sensitive
to any acceleration of water fl ow. This
includes outfalls and any point fl ow from
constructed areas. Alluvial soils tend to
be deeper, more hydrated, and more
fertile than soils in higher elevations;
allowing such locations to support larger
canopy trees, such as Oak varieties.
The substantial canopy associated with
these tree groups nurtures a diverse
understory, making the alluvial areas
also prime habitat for wildlife. Because
the soils of Westlake tend to be sandy,
alluvial soils, this area is more vulnerable
to erosion and fast moving water (which
can result from increased development
of the magnitude established by current
zoning) can easily scour channel banks,
causing destruction of tree communities.
Grapevine has experienced such water
destruction in its industrial areas on the
north side of Lake Grapevine.
• Flood Plains: Figure 53 shows existing
ponds along the water-ways and
the general width of fl ood prone
areas. Note that fl ood plains
along Marshall Creek (west side of
Westlake) and Kirkwood (east side
of Westlake) are the larger fl ood
zones. Downstream development in
Figure 53: Flood Plain Map
ASSESSMENTS 65
Trophy Club has restricted Westlake’s
ability to transport water from future
development, making detention in
these areas critical.
• Lowlands: Lowlands generally
contain the fl ood plain areas of map
above as well as the areas of fl atter
alluvial land, usually associated with
alluvial soil deposits. Historically,
these areas supported signifi cant
riparian growth. However, years of
ranch management and pasture
consolidation have made these the
large fl at grassy areas of today. The
general confi guration of Lowlands
can be seen in Figure 54.
• Midlands: The midlands are areas of
moderate slope lying between the
uplands (hill tops) and lowlands. The
natural mosaic in these areas is not as
diverse as one would fi nd in the riparian
zones of lowland areas. Vegetation
usually contains scrub and native grass
growth common to edges of the riparian
areas. Edges usually provide habitat
for smaller animals and smaller plant
materials that are a food source for
many species, many of which live in the
riparian corridors of the lowlands and
move along such corridors well hidden
from predators.
Midlands are the recipient of storm
fl ows from upland areas moving across
the midlands as they advance toward
the lowland waterways. Because
slopes of the midland areas are steeper
than lowland or upland zones, water
moves at a fast rate, thereby exposing
the midlands to erosion. However,
more stable soil structures and deep
rooted grasses tend to provide erosion
protection. Native grasses of midland
areas are typically deep rooted, which
Figure 54: Lowlands
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE66
allows water to seep into subsurface
seams that then transport it to lowland
waterways. However, years of ranch
management has replaced native
pasture with cultivated pasture, usually
coastal Bermuda grass. Such cultivated
pasture grass is not deep rooted like
native grasses and encourages surface
transport of storm runoff, leading to
erosion. The USGS Topography map
used as a base for this analysis shows
intermediate ponds along the side
slopes of the midlands, indicating erosion
control and silt control structures.
The Midland Areas, with their moderate
slope, are generally stable areas for
development as long as storm water
management is addressed and point
fl ows into the lowland areas are avoided.
Figure 55 illustrates the Midland Areas.
• Slopes over 5%: A key component of the
pastoral beauty of Westlake is the number
of rising land promontories supported by
steeper slopes. There are areas where
the slope exceeds 10%. These steeper
slopes are sensitive to grading and
expensive for development. The steep
slope settings are the landmark land
forms that give Westlake its distinctive
character. Steep slopes are defi ned
as slopes over 5%. Such slopes are
indicated by the salmon colored areas
in Figure 56. Most of these areas lie close
to or along the southern border of town,
as seen in Figure 57a and Figure 57b. This
is in keeping with the fl ow of water from
higher elevations toward Keller to lower
elevations toward Highway 114. Further,
the steeper slopes are generally located
on the northerly sides of promontories.
Therefore, when Westlake is viewed
Figure 55: Midlands
ASSESSMENTS 67
from Highway 114 the landmark land
forms are visible to the south. This is a
distinctive quality of Westlake.
Steeper slopes will have thinner soils
and a generally more fragile vegetative
cover. Therefore, steep slope areas are
sensitive to development.
Figure 56: Slopes over 5%
Figures 57a and 57b: Cross Section and Topo with
Cross Section Line
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE68
• Uplands: Uplands are the highest
elevations of the Town and crown
the landmark land forms discussed
above. Typically void of tree cover, the
thinner soils of hilltops support grasses.
Uplands are fl atter than midlands
and less impacted by development.
However, development in these areas
will be the most visible. In an effort to
preserve the natural form of hilltops,
Westlake has historically encouraged
vertical development to locate in lower
elevations with its use of datum elevation
as a regulatory control of building height.
However, such policy also pushes
development into the lowland areas,
which can have adverse impact on
the ecological function of these areas.
Figure 58 shows the location of upland
areas.
Figure 58: Uplands
ASSESSMENTS 69
The Composite Map: Figure 59 is a
composite of the individual map zones
described above. It provides the key to
application of the development suitability
issues presented below.
Suitability Summary by Zone: The following
text presents development suitability issues
as such considerations are applicable
to each of the zones presented above.
Suitability is addresses through consideration
of the disruption of natural processes,
sensitivity to coverage, sensitivity to building
height, and sensitivity to grading.
• Waterways: Water-ways are highly
sensitive to the impacts of development.
• Sensitivity to disruption of natural
processes: Highly sensitive to the
disruption of natural processes.
Figure 60 illustrates the complexity
of natural processes in waterway
areas. Because the waterway is the
collection point of storm water fl ows,
all the natural processes that facilitate
movement to water-ways culminate
in this area and get progressively
more complex and more diverse
as they approach it. Therefore,
natural processes in waterways
are most sensitive to disruption by
development. This includes the
construction of detention facilities,
which, by necessity, must be located
in this area.
• Sensitivity to coverage: Highly
sensitive to coverage encroachment.
Waterways are highly sensitive
to coverage encroachment as it
disrupts bank functions and renders
normally biologically diverse littoral
zones of ponds. These zones are the
most ecologically active and occur
in the shallower near-bank regions,
making the edges of waterways most
Figure 59: Composite Map
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE70
sensitive to encroachment.
• Sensitivity to building height: Not
applicable.
• Sensitivity to grading: Highly sensitive
to grading. The natural surface
movement of water is key to sustained
function of waterways. Therefore,
grading for the creation of detention
facilities can disrupt normal surface
movement by the imposition of outfall
structures and acceleration of water
velocity. Design of such facilities to
function with fl ow rates and fl ow
patterns that replicate the natural
fl ows they replace is essential.
• Lowlands: Lowlands are sensitive to the
impacts of development.
• Sensitivity to disruption of natural
processes: Sensitive to disruption
of natural processes. Lowlands are
the fl ood plain and general fringe of
waterways. As a result, development
in these areas can disrupt the fi nal
migration of water to waterways.
Excavation and foundations, as well
as hardscape areas, can all change
the patterns of water migration and
result in pollution of run-off, further
affecting waterways.
• Sensitivity to coverage: Sensitive to
coverage. Lowlands are sensitive
to coverage and impervious areas
as they both accelerate water
movement to waterways and prevent
migration to waterways via soil seeps.
Any accelerated water movement in
the highly erodible, alluvial soil types
will transport silt to waterways and
detention facilities. Also, the potential
Figure 60: Ecosystem Diagram
ASSESSMENTS 71
for scouring is greatest in this area,
which is destructive to tree groups.
• Sensitivity to building height: Low
sensitivity to building height. Because
lowlands are at lower elevations, they
tend to hide building height from
general view. Therefore, lowlands
are less sensitive to building height.
• Sensitivity to grading: Sensitive
to grading. The nature of soil
structure and levels of soil hydration
characteristic of lowlands makes
them fertile locations for plants and
habitat for animals. Therefore, any
disturbance of the soil structure as
a result of grading would have far
reaching impacts.
• Midlands: Midlands are moderately
sensitive to the impacts of development.
• Sensitivity to disruption of natural
processes: Less complex natural
processes in this area make them less
sensitive to disruption. The hydrologic
function of Midlands is to transport
runoff to lower elevations. Resistance
to erosion is accomplished by
protective vegetative cover, which
also provides habitat for smaller
animals. Therefore, there is some
disruption of habitat, which can
be accommodated in landscape
design, and some disruption of sheet
fl ows, which can be accommodated
through hydrologic design.
• Sensitivity to coverage: Less complex
natural processes in this area make
them less sensitive to the impacts
of coverage. Coverage, properly
designed to avoid point fl ows and
promote sheet fl ows can provide
continuity to the movement of water
from uplands to water-ways.
• Sensitivity to building height:
Moderately sensitive to building
height. The elevation difference
between Bottom lands and Midlands
is not so great as to signifi cantly
raise the visibility of taller structures.
However, there may be points within
the spatial envelope of this zone that
are more visible than others.
• Sensitivity to grading: Moderate
sensitivity to grading. The gentle
slope of midlands will only require
moderate grading encroachment.
There will be instances where
building pads and access-ways will
require retaining structures. In such
cases, retaining structures should be
so designed as to facilitate water
movement without acceleration.
• Slopes over 5%: Slopes are sensitive to
development and to loss of landmark
signifi cance as a result of development.
• Sensitivity to disruption of natural
processes: Less complex natural
processes in this area make them
less sensitive to disruption. Minimal
hydrologic function of slopes makes
them less important to the transport of
runoff to lower elevations. However,
steeper slope does accelerate water
fl ow and, thereby, accelerates
erosion. Any disturbance of erosion
protection vegetation will expose
the landform to the erosion effect. In
that slopes are landmark landforms,
any attempt to accomplish erosion
control through structured means,
such as slope armoring, will be highly
visible and disruptive to the pastoral
image of Westlake.
• Sensitivity to coverage: Steep grade
conditions in this area make them
very sensitive to the impacts of
coverage. Coverage in slope areas
will have dramatic impact as it will
require modifi cation of the land
profi le and augmentation of the
landmark signifi cance of the slope
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE72
condition.
• Sensitivity to building height: Highly
sensitive to building height. The
visibility of slopes and their landmark
signifi cance makes them undesirable
places for building height. However,
there may be points within the spatial
envelope of this zone that are less
visible than others and, therefore,
more forgiving for building height.
• Sensitivity to grading: Highly sensitive
to grading. The steep slope of this
area will experience signifi cant
change with even a small amount of
grading. In all instances building pads
and access-ways will require retaining
structures, and such structures further
augments the landmark signifi cance
of slope areas.
• Uplands: Low sensitivity to development.
• Sensitivity to disruption of natural
processes: Less complex natural
processes in this area make them
less sensitive to disruption. Minimal
hydrologic function of uplands
makes them less important to the
transport of runoff to lower elevations.
However, augmentation of natural
sheet fl ows to point fl ows will increase
water velocity in midland areas and
promote downhill erosion. Soils on
the hilltops will be thinner and more
sensitive to erosion.
• Sensitivity to coverage: Flatter grade
conditions in this area make them less
sensitive to the impacts of coverage.
Coverage in upland areas will have
less impact than other areas. The
fl atter land profi le can accommodate
coverage.
• Sensitivity to building height: Highly
sensitive to building height. The
visibility of uplands and their landmark
association with steep slopes makes
them undesirable places for building
height.
• Sensitivity to grading: Moderately
sensitivity to grading. The fl atter land
of hilltops will require minimal grading,
thereby making the impacts of
grading less apparent. Also, simpler
natural processes in this area are not
as severely affected by disturbance
of the soil.
Figure 61: Sensitivity Graph
ASSESSMENTS 73
DEVELOPMENT SUITABILITY ANALYSIS:
Part Two
Development regulations impact what
types of uses we fi nd in our communities,
but they also impact how things look, how
things are connected, and where things
go. Our communities are complex, and the
regulations we put in place are intended to
preserve the overall form and feel of the
places we live.
The Comprehensive Plan will set forth a vision
for how Westlake will grow in the future. It
will provide goals, objectives and guiding
principles related to key components of the
built form of Westlake. Before we can do
this, however, it is important to answer three
questions:
1. What does the natural landscape of
Westlake look like from a developability
perspective?
2. Based on current property rights of
existing zoning, what development
opportunities are in place in Westlake
today?
3. Where can we fi nd opportunities to
contextualize the natural landscape
to capture these development
opportunities?
THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE OF WESTLAKE
Westlake sits along the boundary between
the Eastern Cross Timbers and the Grand
Prairie ecoregions. The transitional nature
of the ecosystem of the Town, as illustrated
in Figure 62, explains its complexity and its
value. Drawing from the rich soil profi le
of the Grand Prairie and the attractive
vegetation of the Cross Timbers, Westlake
houses a diverse landscape that is suitable
not only for agricultural practices, but also
for development. It is this convergence of
Figure 62: The Ecoregions of Westlake
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE74
interests – agriculture and development –
that give Westlake its inherent value from a
landscape perspective.
Historically, Westlake has preserved a high
degree of landscape integrity, meaning
that development has been contextualized
to fi t within the natural landscape, rather
than altering that landscape to make
it visually subordinate. Rolling hills and
pastureland defi ne the character of the
Town; and all developments, including
commercial expressions, are designed to fi t
into this context.
Contextualization, which grows from
a commitment to landscape integrity,
is what has helped to preserve the
property values sustained in Westlake. It is
therefore important that the plan creates
mechanisms to continue the commitment
to landscape integrity, not only to preserve
the pastoral landscape of the Town, but to
also preserve property values. In this sense,
landscape integrity needs to guide the
development-related considerations of the
Comprehensive Plan.
When considering landscape integrity, the
two primary drivers of the natural form of the
community are topography and hydrology.
The topography, or changes in elevation, of
Westlake are quite unique. The undulation
of hills has created numerous pockets of
hidden, low-lying land, as well as higher
vistas with rich viewsheds. Roadways have
a meandering feel to them, even when
they move more or less in a straight line, due
simply to the rolling nature of the terrain.
Historically, topography has been a high
value component of the natural landscape,
as is evidenced by the restrictions in the
Town’s code regarding elements such as
grading and building orientation. Figure
63 indicates the general topography
(elevation changes) in Westlake and in the
surrounding area.
Figure 63: Westlake Topography
ASSESSMENTS 75
Hydrology, or the behavior of surface water,
has also done much to shape Westlake.
Westlake sits along two tributaries feeding
into Lake Grapevine: Higgins Branch,
located in the eastern part of town, is a
visible creekway that retains water, and
the other tributary on the west side of town
was dammed to create Turner Lake. This
reservoir is largely undeveloped and helps
with surface water management (storm
water and drainage) for Westlake and
surrounding towns. Figure 64 shows the
surface water patterns in the Town and
surrounding area.
Whereas topography has been codifi ed
as a valuable attribute of the Westlake
landscape, hydrology has not. This means
that there is latent value associated
with water features in Westlake that has
not been fully captured. This should be
explored through the visioning process to
identify targeted types of development
that can have positive associations with
water features.
CURRENT DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The zoning code of the City defi nes what is
permitted on every property within the City.
Some land can be used for residences,
some for offi ces, some for stores, some for
industry, and some for public uses. Although
there are times when the zoning assigned
to a property can change, the intent is to
preserve the rights of property owners to
be able to use their property as they see
fi t while remaining within the parameters
established by the zoning code.
The zoning code establishes categories
of use, such as residential, industrial and
commercial. For each category, a list
of specifi c uses are identifi ed, as well as
Figure 64: Westlake Hydrology
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE76
standards for development of the property
(landscaping, lighting, signage, etc.). This
list of approved uses secures the property
owner’s rights to use their property in the
future. Therefore, how the properties of
Westlake are zoned is a snapshot of what
the future of the town would look like in terms
of development, should nothing change.
In general, land south of Dove Rd. is zoned
for residential use, while land north of Dove
Rd. is zoned for planned developments.
“Planned Development” – or PD – is a
zoning category that allows owners of larger
tracts of land to plan at a larger scale. PDs
typically contain a mixture of uses and may
have their own standards with respect to
landscaping, signage and building heights
and setbacks. In Westlake, PDs cover the
majority of the land of the Town. Although
this is good in the sense that it promotes
a mixture of uses clustered around key
thematic elements, it can be problematic
in terms of growth management and
preservation of community vision.
Figure 65: Current Westlake Zoning
ASSESSMENTS 77
Each PD assignment has its own set of
rules and regulations and is, therefore,
not subject to community-wide standards
like that of other properties. Therefore,
the Comprehensive Plan must anticipate
the limited ability of conventional zoning
to translate community vision into
development regulations. Conventional
modifi cation of base zoning categories,
such as residential and offi ce, will not
impact development on properties that
are zoned PD. Alternative measures will be
necessary to codify community vision.
The uses permitted in the Town of Westlake
have been included here in the table in
Figure 66. It demonstrates what uses are
permitted in each of the zoning categories
of the Town’s code of ordinances. The rows
indicate the actual zoning categories that
exist for the Town of Westlake. The columns
indicate general land use categories, such
as multifamily, retail and parks.
Figure 66: Permitted Uses Under Existing
Zoning Designations
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE78
Figure 67: Permitted Uses in Westlake by General
Land Use Category
ASSESSMENTS 79
Tying this table to the zoning map is
particularly helpful when it comes to
understanding what is possible to build
in Westlake, according to property rights
assigned to the parcels today. Figure 67
is a sequence of maps that show where
each of the general land use categories
are permitted within the Town. This does
not speak to anything related to building or
site design, only which uses are permitted
on which tracts.
Offi ce and retail uses follow a very similar
pattern of distribution as permitted uses in
most of the parcels located north of Dove
Rd. and along the western edge of the
Town. It is important to note that, although
these two uses are compatible with each
other, they create different types of traffi c
patterns and parking demands and have
different impacts on the viewshed of the
Town. Other differences are due to fi nancial
performance of these two product types,
as seen in life cycle costs and long-term
community impacts associated with shifts
in tenancy.
Resorts and hotels are great additions to
any community because they provide
needed buffers between commercial
uses and residential uses. They also create
opportunity for landscape preservation,
as viewshed and theming are important
considerations for resort development.
Fortunately, most of this land sits along
the major waterway of the Town, offering
opportunity to separate more intense
development expressions along Alliance
Gateway and SH 114 from the residential
areas of the community. Care must be
taken, however, to ensure that such resort/
hotel developments in Westlake do not use
up land that would be more effectively
used for something else.
Very little of the land north of Dove Rd and
along Alliance Gateway is zoned single
family residential, but single family residential
is a permitted use on some of the properties
zoned as PD. This is of particular concern in
those areas adjacent to Alliance Gateway,
where higher densities and commercial
uses would be more desirable.
There is little demand from the existing
community with regard to an increase
in multi-family and vertical mixed use
due to concerns about median home
values, density and overall quality of
development in Westlake. That being said,
the small window that exists for this form
of development, as indicated in the Multi-
Family and Vertical Mixed Use maps in Figure
67, needs to be preserved. Because many
other uses are also permitted in this small
pocket, care needs to be taken to ensure
that there is opportunity for expressions of
higher residential density in the northwest
portion of Westlake and that patience is
exercised to ensure that this pocket absorbs
the higher densities that are not desired in
other areas of the community.
Civic uses, which include government
uses and public facilities, are permitted
in most of Westlake north of Dove Road.
This encourages dispersion rather than
aggregation of said uses. While it may
be appropriate to have some civic uses
dispersed, aggregation of civic elements
are needed to create a true center for
the Town. This also ensures that the market
has access to land in the right places in
the community, returning highest and best
use, economically speaking, as the level of
return on public land is not equal to that on
private land.
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE80
It is diffi cult to fi nd a parcel in the Town
of Westlake that cannot be designated
for recreational use. It is important to
understand that, although recreational uses
do much to benefi t the community, such
uses do not promote the pastoral aesthetic
the Town seeks to preserve. Neither do
they contribute signifi cantly to the Town’s
tax base. They are useful as buffers and
as activity anchors for the community. As
such, careful placement is necessary in
order to preserve both the natural and
economic context of Westlake, while
providing amenity for the Town’s residents.
It is important to note that although golf
course communities defi nitely preserve
a higher price point than many other
residential forms, market surpluses never
improve the quality of development. An
oversupply of land approved for golf course
communities puts neighboring projects in
competition and discourages consideration
of other community expressions that might
be equally advantageous in Westlake.
The land that is zoned to permit parks and
open spaces aggregates around either
the creekways of the Town or around the
residential areas south of Dove Road. This
is an appropriate distribution in general;
although, of concern is the amount of park/
open spaces that could be designated
along 377 and Alliance Gateway. These PDs
should be visited to ensure that development
density is appropriately captured along
these roadways. Also important to note
is that not all property fronting waterways
should be set aside for parkland. Water is
a wonderful amenity for development and
does much to strengthen property values.
Westlake should see to fi nd commercial and
residential expressions, as well as parks and
open spaces, along the Town’s waterways.
Interestingly, most of the land in Westlake is
zoned to permit some form of agricultural use.
Although this is in keeping with the pastoral
heritage and aesthetic that the community
historically values, it is not necessarily in
keeping with retail, offi ce, resort and hotel
uses that are also permitted in these same
areas of town. This use exemplifi es the
modalism that sits underneath the surface
in Westlake: an expectation for a pastoral
image in the context of commercial land
development practices. Although not
mutually exclusive, it is diffi cult to maintain
agricultural and commercial uses in the
same context. This is one of the largest
challenges of the Comprehensive Plan.
Industrial uses are permitted along 377
and selectively off of 114. This is not to
be overlooked, as these uses are not
compatible with some of the other uses
that are also permitted in these areas.
Adjacency to industrial uses will need
proper buffering to minimize any negative
effect on development due to viewshed,
noise, light, air, soil, and water impacts.
Institutional uses include schools and
healthcare facilities. These are very important
building blocks for our communities. Like
many other uses discussed, however, there
is a high level of overlap with other uses
in Westlake. Where limited development
expression is found (i.e., multi-family or
industrial), institutional uses can hinder a
balanced distribution of land uses for the
Town. The advantage of institutional uses,
ASSESSMENTS 81
however, is that they are compatible with a
broad range of other uses. This is, therefore,
a highly fl exible use designation in terms
of contextualization. Institutional uses are
appropriate in many contexts.
As indicated in Figure 66, there is a high level
of fl exibility in what can be built in Westlake.
Although many of the PDs include restrictions
in terms of height, density, setback and
number of units, when you consider the use
allocations, it becomes quickly apparent
that there is a very high level of ambiguity
in what will ultimately be built in many parts
of the Town.
This is both a positive and a negative.
Flexibility enables property owners to respond
more organically to market demand and/
or sequence development appropriately
over time. However, in the absence of
effective codifi cation of community vision,
it can lead to opportunistic development
patterns, which, in the case of Westlake,
could disrupt the character, aesthetic and
property values that for years have been
successfully preserved.
Figure 66: Permitted Uses Under Existing
Zoning Designations
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE82
PROMOTING LANDSCAPE INTEGRITY AND
CAPTURING DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY
Topography and Zoning: The Need for
Recalibration
As previously discussed, topography
(variations in elevation) is a key defi ning
element in the Westlake landscape. This
has been understood well in the past, as
topography has been a determinant in
zoning with respect to density. Figure 68 is
a snapshot from Westlake’s Zoning Code,
illustrating the language that was used
to preserve topography when properties
develop. The purpose and intent of the
residential density allocations of the Town
is to minimize alteration of the terrain and
preserve the natural elevation changes.
To do this, zoning categories were created
to require larger lots in areas with steep
elevation changes and smaller lots in areas
with minimal elevation changes. The goal
of this approach was to encourage lower
Figure 68: A Snapshot of Purpose and Intent
Statements for Residential Zoning
ASSESSMENTS 83
densities in more ecologically sensitive
areas and higher densities in less sensitive
areas.
While this is a great approach to density
distributions, it only works if the actual
categorical assignments align with their
purpose and intent. To see if this was the
case, a comparative line density analysis
was conducted to determine if the areas
with steeper grades correlated to the areas
with the lower density designations (and if
the converse also held true). This analysis
considered only residential zoning, as most
non-residential land is governed by PDs,
and PDs are not held to consistent standards
throughout the community.
Figure 69 shows the relative intensity of
elevation change across the Town of
Westlake. The darker colored parcels
represent those areas where topographic
change is the steepest. The lighter colored
areas represent those areas where
topographic change is the fl attest. The
contour lines were included in the map
to further illustrate this difference (more
space between lines implies a fl atter area,
whereas less space between lines implies
a steeper area). According to this line
density map, the residential pockets along
Precinct Line Road in the southern part of
Town, as well as a few parcels surrounding
Westlake Academy and Solana, are the
steepest grades in Westlake. Theoretically,
these darker brown parcels should have
the lowest residential density assigned to
them to be able to build residences without
destroying the topography and terrain.
Conversely, the western edge of town
and the area along Precinct Line Road in
the northern part of town is characterized
by less elevation change. These parcels
should, according to existing zoning criteria,
Figure 69: Relative Intensity of Elevation Changes
in Westlake
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE84
be assigned higher density, due to the lower
impact that development would have on
terrain in these areas.
Figure 70 shows how existing zoning
designations align with slope. The red color
scale is used for parcels where density is high
(relatively speaking), but slope would call
for density to be low. The darker the red, the
greater the confl ict between density and
steepness of slope. The blue color scale is
used for parcels where density designation is
lower than what would be called for based
on slope. Dark blue parcels, therefore, have
minimal grade change yet very low density.
This is a technical illustration of consistency of
the Zoning Code with its own stated purpose
and intent. Whereas the purpose and intent
statements indicate that topography and
terrain are to be preserved by the regulation
of density, the actual zoning designations
on the ground in Westlake show that density
has not been defi ned based on topography
but on some other consideration or range
of factors. As the Town moves forward
and anticipates future development, care
needs to be given to the ordinances and
regulatory instruments put in place in order
to ensure that the community vision is
translated accurately into policy measures
and that those measures are consistently
enforced.
It is important to note that topography
should not be the sole determinant in
density distribution. There are other factors
that should be taken into consideration.
However, if landscape integrity is a
community value, then the measures
Figure 70: Topography and Zoning: Consistency of
Designations with Purpose and Intent
ASSESSMENTS 85
put in place by the zoning code must be
effective in preserving the integrity of that
landscape. The code should be revisited
in order to determine if there are other
measures that may be equally effective in
promoting landscape integrity and whether
the categorical assignments of the Town
could be modifi ed in order to achieve the
community’s stated goals.
Hydrology and Zoning: The Need for New
Tools
The surface water system of Westlake
provides wonderful windows of opportunity
for development expressions that build off
of landscape-oriented amenities. Currently,
the zoning code does not acknowledge the
hydrology of the Town, and, in this way, it
does little to maximize the potential of tracts
that could benefi t from water-oriented
development. Just as transit-oriented
development should give thought to the
interface between transit (transportation
of large volumes of people) and land use,
water-oriented development should give
thought to the interface between drainage
(transportation of large volumes of water)
and land use.
Figure 71 shows the hydrologic footprint of
Westlake. Although Turner Lake has altered
stream fl ow in its watershed, the footprint is
still there, and modifi cation of fl ow patterns
could resurrect this channel as a more
permanent feature for the community.
Future drainage capacity concerns also
point to this area to resolve infrastructure
development demands, which would
further justify a modifi cation in surface water
management for Westlake.
Figure 71: Westlake Hydrology
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE86
Although there is considerable potential
for expansion of the surface water system
of Westlake, not every parcel fronts or
contains a point of access to this system.
Figure 72 highlights those parcels that
could be considered for water-oriented
development due to their adjacency to the
fl oodplain of the Town.
It should be noted that as channel design
and drainage projects are completed, this
confi guration could be modifi ed. This is a
parcel analysis based solely on the existing
fl oodplain of Westlake. Modifi cations to
fl ow patterns would bring some parcels
online and remove others from possible
water-oriented development scenarios in
the future.
Figure 72: Parcels Positioned for Water-Oriented
Development
ASSESSMENTS 87
From a development perspective, these
parcels identifi ed as potential sites for
water-oriented development are valuable
only so far as their entitlements allow. It is,
therefore, important to understand how
these potential sites are currently zoned.
Figure 73 shows the current zoning of the
parcels in question.
What makes this all incredibly relevant for
Westlake is that the majority of the parcels
that are candidates for water-oriented
development are zoned PD. As discussed
earlier, PDs are designed with a higher level
of fl exibility in terms of approved uses but
typically have more clearly defi ned design
controls for elements like landscaping,
building orientation, architectural
guidelines, signage, etc..
Figure 73: Zoning of Parcels to Consider for
Water-Oriented Development
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE88
Summary of Considerations for Plan
Construction
Westlake was born out of a commitment to
landscape integrity, expressed in pastoral
development forms where residential and
commercial growth can be contextualized
without subordinating the natural
landscape. The two strongest determinants
of landscape form, topography and
hydrology, should, therefore, be the guiding
principles around which land use is defi ned
and regulated.
With respect to topography, the intent to
minimize grading, which is expressed in the
language of the current zoning ordinance,
should be promoted in other categories
through the Town. Additional measures
other than density designations may be
more suitable to preservation of hillside and
viewshed, however.
By creating opportunities for water-oriented
development, Westlake can give greater
defi nition, with respect to landscape
expression, to new commercially oriented
development in the Town. Water can also
be investigated as a possible transitional
tool between uses, tying properties together
in a more project-oriented context.
With these two guiding principles, Westlake
will be able to preserve landscape integrity,
while operating under the confi nes of a PD-
dominated zoning structure.
ASSESSMENTS 89
4. TRANSPORTATION AND CIRCULATION ASSESSMENT
Introduction
The following assessment considers the
present and future circulation trends in,
and through, Westlake. Transportation will
play an essential role in shaping the Town’s
future. Not only does it help determine how
long it takes to get to and from our daily
activities, such as work, school and errands,
and how we’ll get there, but it also plays
a large role in shaping the layout and
character of the community.
This section provides an assessment of
transportation conditions in the Town of
Westlake, including its street network, off-
road facilities and transit. The information
compiled here is based on on-site
observations and readily available data
from the Town, North Central Texas Council
of Government (NCTCOG) and other
sources. Additionally, this analysis is to
identify the manner in which Westlake is
structurally associated with its neighboring
cities (namely Southlake and Keller) and
the extent to which Westlake is currently
functioning as a portal to Highway 114
and/or commercial development along
the 114 corridor. Once this is understood,
a look at future trip volumes will reveal
how those patterns are effected by new
roadways and thoroughfares (proposed
to accommodate future development),
which may result in critical choke points
that will ultimately impede the realization of
such development. More specifi cally, this
analysis considers the following:
Current Traffi c Patterns:
An assessment of transportation conditions
in Westlake requires an understanding of
context, in terms of the role of transportation
within the Town today. Key contextual
factors to be considered include the Town’s
position relative to the region, its street
network and other modes of transportation.
More detail is provided below.
Regional Mobility
Westlake’s northern boundaries are marked
by SH 114 and SH 170, four-lane freeways
that provide good accessibility to the rest
of the region, including direct access to
the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
(roughly 30 minute peak hour drive time),
the Fort Worth central business district (CBD)
via I-35W and SH 377 (30 minute drive time)
and the Dallas CBD via I-35E/Stemmons
Freeway (approximately 45 minute peak
hour drive time).
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE90
SH 114 carries about 75,000 vehicles per
day, while SH 170 carries about 40,000
vehicles per day. A majority of trips with
an origin or destination within Westlake use
these facilities to reach locations elsewhere
throughout the region.
There are several regional transit services in
operation, including commuter rail (Trinity
Railway Express, Denton County Transit), light
rail (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) and express
bus service (Fort Worth Transportation
Authority (The T), DART). However, none of
these provide service to Westlake, but DART,
The T and DCTA each operate vanpooling
and carpooling programs. Additionally,
Wheels provides on-demand, non-
emergency medical transportation within
Tarrant County for senior citizens and the
transportation disadvantaged, but there
is no fi xed route transit service operating
within Westlake.
Given that much of Westlake has yet to
be developed, the existing street network
(Figure 74 Street Classifi cation Map) is
relatively sparse. Two arterials span the
Town from east to west and north to south.
Dove Road, classifi ed as a minor arterial, is
a two-lane facility that extends from SH 114
and Southlake in the east to SH 170 and
Roanoke in the west and is the primary east-
west route for much of the Town. Existing
traffi c volumes range from 1,200 vehicles
per day in the west to almost 6,000 vehicles
per day in the east.
Precinct Line Road (FM 1938) is a principal
arterial that connects Southlake and Keller
to SH 114, where it terminates. Precinct Line
Road is four lanes south of Dove Road and
six lanes north of Dove Road. It carries about
6,000 vehicles per day.
Sources: Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, USGS, Intermap, iPC, NRCAN, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), Esri (Thailand), TomTom, 2013Town of Westlake - Functional Classification
LEGEND
<all other values>
FUNCTIONAL
Interstate
Major Collector
Minor Collector
Principal Arterial - Other
Principal Arterial-Other Freeways and Expressways
Minor Arterial
City of
Westlake
Tarrant County
Denton County
[00.250.50.125 Miles
Figure 74: Transportation Classifi cation Map
ASSESSMENTS 91
A handful of local streets provide
connectivity within the Town, including
Solana Boulevard and Capital Parkway,
which run from east to west;, and Westlake
Parkway and Sam School Road, which run
from north to south. Solana Boulevard and
Westlake Parkway each provide direct
access to SH 114 frontage roads. Solana
Boulevard carries about 5,000 vehicles per
day, while Sam School Road carries less
than 2,000 vehicles per day (traffi c count
data is not available for other local streets,
but they are believed to carry less than
2,000 vehicles per day).
In addition to Precinct Line Road, several
minor arterials connect Keller and Southlake
to Westlake, including Pearson Lane, Randol
Mill Avenue and Peytonville Avenue. Each
of these streets terminates at Dove Road.
Ottinger Road, also a minor arterial, enters
Westlake from Keller to the south, where it
merges with Dove Road and connects to
SH 170 and the City of Roanoke. Roanoke
Road is a major collector that connects
Keller to SH 170 and Roanoke, passing
through west Westlake. Each of these
streets carries less than 5,000 vehicles per
day. Currently, they are used predominant
by residents of Keller and Southlake not only
to access employment in Westlake, but also
as the path of least resistance to SH 114.
Figure 75a Roadway Counts Map and
Figure 75b Roadway Counts Graph
(compiled from State of Texas, City of
Southlake, and NCTCOG sources) displays
historic trip volumes along key roadways
coming into Westlake. The key roadways
are Dove Road (the primary east/west link
to 170 and 114 and destination of most
roadways entering Westlake from Southlake
and Keller), Roanoke (key roadway serving
residential development in Keller), Ottinger
(key roadway serving both Keller and
Southlake), Pearson (also known as CR 4041
is another roadway serving Southlake and
Keller), Precinct Line (a key throughway
serving Southlake and Keller ad connecting
to Highway 114), Randol Mill/Peytonville/
Shady Oaks (all serving residential and
commercial development in Southlake).
When considering Figure 75a and Figure
75b, it is noticeable that traffi c volumes on
Dove Road increase as Dove approaches
Highway 114 from Ottinger. This sequential
increase in traffi c volume supports the
Figure 75a: Roadway Counts Map
Figure 75b: Roadway Counts Graph
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE92
notion that Dove is a primary local collector,
receiving infl ow traffi c from Ottinger, Pearson,
Precinct Line, Randol Mill, Peytonville, and
Shady Oaks. It is also evident that most of
this incoming traffi c is fl owing east toward
Highway 114 and Southlake, once it hits
Dove Road. This is largely an indication that
the generally undeveloped state of land
west of Westlake does not offer signifi cant
traffi c destination potential.
The roadways fl owing from the south
(Southlake and Keller) into Westlake are
carrying signifi cant traffi c volumes for 2 lane
roadways. With the exception of Shady
Oaks, each averages approximately 5,000
cars per day (about half the capacity of
a 2 lane, undivided roadway). The traffi c
volume patterns on Dove Road suggest
that many of these trips are fl owing to Dove,
turning east toward Highway 114 and,
thereby, avoiding the traffi c congestion of
roadways southward (such as 1709). Also,
accessing commercial areas south would
require a left turn maneuver, which will
likely experience time delays during peak
hours. The trip north and east is all right
turn maneuvers, which can be made even
on a red light, accessing 1709 retail from
the Highway 114 side (again a right turn
maneuver instead of a left turn maneuver
with short storage lanes along 1709). Any
future improvement to Dove will only make
it more attractive as an easier and quicker
route to the commercial offerings of 1709
and Highway 114.
The largely undeveloped Westlake makes
it easy to see the patterns of movement
that will come into and circulate through
the Town. This pattern suggests that north
and south bound traffi c fl owing to and
from Dove Road is a regional pattern that
Westlake will have to accommodate as
populations, and subsequent trip volumes,
within the region grow. The earlier analysis of
population growth suggests that Southlake
and Keller will contain approximately 54,000
households by 2040. Assuming that half of
those households will generate traffi c north
of 1709 (Southlake Boulevard) and that 70%
of those trips will fl ow north and southward
to and from Dove road, that trip volume
could be 187,000 trips. Flowing to Dove
road along 6, 2 lane, roadways. 187,000
trips would require the capacity of 26 lanes,
meaning that each of these roadways
would need to be a 4 lane divided arterial.
Further investigation of the south to north
roadways reveals that only Pearson, Randol
Mill/ Precinct Line, and Peytonville make
through connections between Dove and
1709. Therefore, these streets will carry
most of the future traffi c that would fl ow
north and south, to and from, Dove Road.
If each of these streets became a 4 lane
divided arterial, the total trip volume they
would bring in and out of Westlake is
approximately 116,000 trips. Using 116,000
trips as a total volume fl owing to and from
Dove Road, it is clear that Dove Road can
become the limiting factor. If Dove Road
were widened to a 6 land divided Arterial,
the capacity of such a roadway would
be right at 40,000 trips per day (provided
dedicated turn lanes were also built at
the key intersections). In addition, the
future land use plan reveals that most of
Westlake’s present and future residential
development will be built in places served by
Dove Road. That contributes an additional
20,000 trips to the picture, a volume that
could easily be served by a single 4 lane
divided thoroughfare. Therefore, the cost
of additional lane capacity along north/
south streets and Dove Road becomes a
cost imposed on the citizens of Westlake by
external growth that Westlake must bear.
Figure 76 shows trip 2012 trip volumes along
Highway 114 and Highway 170. Note that
the volumes decrease from east to west,
ASSESSMENTS 93
indicating that trips are fl owing to and from
Highway 114 from the intersections of Dove
Road, Solana, Precinct Line Road, and
Trophy Club Boulevard. The drop in trip
volumes from Dove to Precinct Line is 23,000
trips. Deducting the trip volume on Precinct
Line (5,625 trips), Solana Boulevard (4,684
trips), Westlake/Trophy Club Boulevard
(5,865), and a portion of the Dove Road
traffi c (3,200) accounts for this drop and
reinforces the hypothesis that Westlake
is the conduit through which externally
generated trips are fl owing to and from
Highway 114.
State of Texas information shows that 2012
traffi c volumes along Highway 114 in the
vicinity of the 1709 intersection are right at
100,000 trips. At such density of trip volumes,
this portion of Highway 114 is experiencing
peak hour congestion. Therefore, 100,000
trips should be viewed as a threshold for
traffi c along 114. At present, trip volumes
along Highway 114 at the Solana Boulevard
intersection are at 68,000, leaving a surplus
capacity of 32,000 daily trips.
In summary, Westlake today is functioning
as a portal for trip access to Highway
114 via Dove Road. At current levels of
development, current road capacities are
suffi cient to accommodate current trip
volumes. This portal function of Westlake
is revealed by the decreasing pattern of
trip volumes along Highway 114 (east to
west). The future residential growth of
Westlake will leave some road capacity in
Dove Road if Dove road were widened to
a 4 lane divided, arterial but the externally
generated trips will quickly overcome
that surplus capacity between now and
2040. In addition present volumes along
Highway 114 leave an approximate 32,000
increment of growth in trip volumes before
the Westlake portion of highway 114
becomes subject to peak hour congestion.
Figure 76: 2012 Trip Volumes
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE94
Bicycles and Pedestrians
The existing character and layout of
Westlake doesn’t lend itself to short bicycle
and pedestrian work, school or shopping
trips. Rather, walking and cycling in the
Town is done predominantly for health
and recreational purposes, although some
bicycle commuting may also take place.
Most of the arterials, collectors and
commercially-oriented local streets do not
have sidewalks or parallel paths. Some
have shoulders or wide outside lanes that
could accommodate experienced cyclists.
A majority of residential streets in Westlake
do not have sidewalks. The Town’s land
development regulations do not require
sidewalks for new development.
Future Traffi c Patterns: Elements of Change
Westlake’s development potential, coupled
with existing entitlements spell out a
signifi cant amount of growth for the Town in
terms of population and employment. With
growth comes change. The challenge for
the Comprehensive Plan lies in developing a
transportation system that accommodates
growth and change while maintaining a
high quality of life for residents.
Travel Demand
An analysis was performed of Westlake’s
existing entitlements and their implications for
growth in population, homes, employment,
and square footage of development. In turn,
that growth was translated into potential
travel demand based on commonly
accepted methodologies.
The Town’s existing entitlements translate
into roughly 2,400 new single family homes
and 300 new multi-family units. Generally
speaking, homes generate about nine
trips per day. These trips are referred to as
“productions” because they begin at the
home, ultimately destined for somewhere
else, be it work, school, shopping, etc. New
growth will result in about 25,000 new trip
productions on a daily basis.
Existing entitlements will also result in about
46,000 new offi ce employees, 3.1 million
square feet of retail (including a mall)
and about 3,200 hotel rooms. Combined,
these uses will generate about 280,000
Figure 77: Estimate of Travel Demand
from Entitlements
ASSESSMENTS 95
trips per day. These trips are referred to as
“attractions” because they originate from
elsewhere (i.e. home).
All told, Westlake will experience an increase
of over 300,000 trips per day. Because of
the overwhelming difference between trip
productions and attractions, a vast majority
of these trips will be drawn from places
outside of the City. Additionally, Southlake
and Keller are anticipated to add another
187,000 trips at build-out, a signifi cant share
of which could be attracted to employment
and shopping within Westlake and to gain
access to SH 114 and SH 170. While the PD
Plans (discussed in Existing Conditions) show
connection between Westlake Parkway
and Dove Road, the Westlake Land Use Plan
does not show such connection; meaning
that the total trip volume fl ows to Westlake
Boulevard via four points of connection
to the two lane service roads of Highway
114. Therefore, the potential for signifi cant
congestion is very high.
Transportation Impacts
An analysis of travel demand clearly
indicates that Westlake’s existing street
network is wholly insuffi cient to handle
travel demand generated by new growth
and development. The existing street
network, which is predominated a handful
of two-lane, undivided roads, simply lacks
the capacity.
As many as three to fi ve new four lane
divided roads could be needed to
accommodate traffi c in both north-south
and east-west directions.
300300
56005600
8670086700
6240062400
3320033200
3160031600
54005400
92009200
68006800
51005100 600600
1630016300
2060020600
1320013200
1220012200
200200
30003000
Sources: Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, USGS, Intermap, iPC, NRCAN, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), Esri (Thailand), TomTom, 2013Town of Westlake Trend Analysis - Total Trips
City of
Westlake
Tarrant County
Denton County
[00.150.30.075 Miles
Figure 78: Travel Demand Map
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE96
There are no other options to accommodate
travel both within the Town and from
elsewhere in the region. There are no plans
to add local or regional transit service, and
there are few facilities to accommodate
bicycle and pedestrian trips.
To understand the lane capacity required
to accommodate such trip volumes, the
ITE has established planning standards for
Average Daily Trips (ADT) street capacity.
This information is presented in Tables 80a-
d Capacity Diagrams and suggests that
a capacity of 40 lanes (10, 4 land divided
thoroughfares) is needed to move the
308,067 trips. These lanes must comprise
a traffi c system that moves vehicles in and
out at multiple points in ingress/egress.
However, the bifurcated residential network
(fl owing to Dove Road) and commercial
network (serving the commercial area
without direct connection to Dove Road)
makes creation of a coherent overarching
system very diffi cult.
Figure 79: Street Capacity at Build-Out
Figures 80a-80d: Capacity Diagrams
ASSESSMENTS 97
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE98
To understand how the projected trip
volumes will affect circulation patterns in
Westlake it is important to view the future
thoroughfare plan as illustrated in Figure
81. The 2004 Future Land Use Plan presents
several important characteristics including:
• The realignment of Dove Road: Note
in Figure 81, that Dove Road, which
currently extends north from Ottinger to a
connection with Highway 170, turns west
from Ottinger and connects with a new
commercial road. This disconnects Dove
Road from commercial use. Therefore,
growing populations, seeking to take
advantage of Westlake’s commercial
offerings will fl ow to Dove Road, along
Ottinger, Pearson, Randol Mill, Precinct
Line, and Peytonville, but will be unable
to continue north without fl owing
to the east intersection with the new
commercial street or fl owing to Precinct
Line Road. Therefore, convenient access
to the commercial offerings of Westlake
will be determined by the capacity of
Dove (earlier determined to be limited)
and the capacity of Precinct Line and/
or the new commercial road. This could
make Dove Road, a primary residential
collector, have to function as a regional
arterial. In addition, Westlake Academy,
which is now served by the more
residential/pastoral Dove Road will, in
the future, be served by the commercial
roadways. This signifi cantly augments
the associations of Westlake Academy
with the residential fabric of Westlake.
• 6 points of connection to 2 2-lane
service roads: Note that trips fl owing
to and from the commercial district of
Westlake, separated from the residential
6 points of connection to
2 2-lane service roads
6 lane capacity going
south
Realignment of Dove Road
Residential Roads
Commercial Access
Choke Points
Figure 81: 2004 Future Land Use Plan
ASSESSMENTS 99
areas of Westlake by the public golf
feature, are served by six access points.
Assuming that each access point is the
beginning of a 4-lane divided arterial,
the combined lane capacity is 174,000
trips. The trip generation of that portion
of commercial land uses served by these
6 points of connection is greater than
the above stated capacity, meaning
that intersection improvements will likely
be required in order to expand capacity
(such as dedicated turn lanes). TIA
analyses should be done in the future
to determine when such intersection
improvements are necessary.
The six points of connection are served
by 2 2-lane service roads linking to off/
on ramps at Solana, Precinct Line Road
and Westlake Boulevard. This could
lead to congestion on the service roads
as traffi c from commercial areas to the
west of Westlake Boulevard seek to fl ow
eastward to the Westlake Boulevard on-
ramp.
It seems that most of the traffi c issues
confronting the future are solvable
through proper engineering and
capacity enhancement. Although, the
population of Westlake will have to
become accustomed to lower levels of
intersection service (which is typical of
urban level development).
• 6 lanes of capacity going south: Perhaps
the greatest challenge is the focus of
southward moving traffi c to Precinct
Line Road. A 6-lane divided arterial
can be expected to carry a planning
maximum of 35,000 to 40,000 vehicles
per day. As stated earlier, the potential
number of vehicles moving from south
to north to either access Highway 114
or the commercial offerings of Westlake
could exceed this planning capacity.
Certainly convergence of all north
bound movement from Keller, Southlake,
Watauga, and northern North Richland
Hills, at the intersection of Dove Road
and Precinct Line Road, is a potential
choke point in the local road system.
Issues and Opportunities
Transportation is an important element
of the Town of Westlake’s future. The
Comprehensive Plan should give due
consideration to the Town’s transportation
systems and characteristics as they evolve
over time. To that end, this assessment
yields several observations regarding
transportation issues and challenges:
• Street Network Capacity – The existing
street network clearly lacks suffi cient
capacity to accommodate the
increase in travel demand associated
with entitled development. In addition
to improvements to existing streets, such
as Dove Road, several new facilities will
need to be added between now and
build-out.
• Freeway/Interchange Capacity - A
majority of trip attractions generated
by new non-residential development
will emanate from outside of the Town.
Many of these trips will access Westlake
via SH 114. Additionally, the Town will
continue to experience pass-through
from trips originating in communities to
the south that are destined for SH 114.
This has direct implications for SH 114
and associated interchanges and their
ability to handle signifi cant increases in
traffi c volume.
• Connectivity – Transportation networks
in which all development connects
directly to a few arterials is a very
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE100
ineffi cient system. As Westlake develops
and expands its transportation network,
the Town must establish a robust, well-
connected street network that integrates
arterials, collectors and local streets.
• Opportunity to Shape Growth – Given
that a majority of the Town is yet to be
built, there exists a golden opportunity to
shape it in the desired pattern and form
from the outset, rather than try to “fi x”
existing problems. This opportunity to
shape future growth includes the design
of the future transportation system.
In conclusion, it is clear that the traffi c
picture of the future will be dramatically
different than it is today with Dove Road and
Precinct Line Road functioning as regional
arterials. These roads are also the major
identity roads of Westlake. However, their
function will move toward “pass through”
rather than “arrival”, making the assertion
of Westlake’s unique identity and form
more diffi cult. In addition, the intersection
of Dove Road and Precinct Line Road
emerge as a signifi cant choke point at the
very center of the Town. Solutions to this
potential problem, which seek to increase
its capacity, can further regionalize the
road identity and, thereby, overpower the
pastoral self-image that Westlake nurtures.
Solana Boulevard/Westlake Boulevard will
serve an immense amount of commercial
square footage as well as the Westlake
Academy (potentially separated from the
residential fabric of the community). The
visual character of this roadway is driven
by its capacity needs, and just like Dove/
Precinct Line Roads, capacity increases
a more regional Town identity. Therefore,
preserving a Town identity when faced with
regionalization pressures will be a signifi cant
planning challenge going forward.
ASSESSMENTS 101
5. INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY ASSESSMENT
Water Consumption Background
The Town of Westlake purchases its potable
water from the City of Fort Worth. The
agreement states that the Town of Westlake
can increase its water consumption by no
more than 1.35 times the maximum day
demand of the previous year in any one
day. The Town of Westlake is responsible
for the distribution of potable water while
its purveyor responsibility is to deliver the
treated potable water via their transmission
system.
The Town’s current average daily use is
reportedly about 1,200 gals per day per
person, with a consumption break down
of about 70% residential use and 30% non-
residential. By comparison, Southlake’s
consumption is in the neighborhood of
600 gallons per day per person, while the
Town of Highland Park’s consumption is
approximately 400 gallons per day per
person. Historical consumption rates for the
Town of Westlake from 2009 to 2013 are
shown in Figure 82 and Figure 83.
Figure 82: Westlake Average Daily Water Use
Figure 83: Westlake Maximum Day Water Demand
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE102
Estimating Future Water Consumption
The cost of developing new water
infrastructure will be directly related to
water demand and water availability.
A prudent water demand projection is
necessary in order to set capital outlays that
can be met by the Town, its purveyors, and
development community. Based on zoning
and PDs, the future population for the Town
could reach around 7,750 at built-out. At
the current average daily demand in the
vicinity of 1,200 gallons per day per person,
the average daily demand could be about
9.3 million gallons, a very high and unlikely
sustainable rate.
A more reasonable approach to estimating
future water consumption, based on
commonly accepted standards for water
consumption rates, can be used to set
a more sustainable rate. The means to
estimate those would be:
• 350 gallons per single family dwelling unit
(3.3 persons per unit based on Census
data)
• 250 gallons per multifamily dwelling unit
(2.1 persons per unit based on Census
data)
• 20 gallons per offi ce employee
• 25 gallons per industrial employee
• 150 gallons per 1000 square feet of retail
space
• 150 gallons per 1000 square feet of mall
space
• 200 gallons per hotel unit
Based on these, the resulting water
consumption on a per land use basis at
built-out would yield the average daily
consumption rates shown in Figure 84.
The above future demand analysis amounts
to 29.12% residential and 70.88 non-
residential, an inverse of the current 70%
residential to 30% non-residential. Current
residential water use may include substantial
irrigation to support lush landscaping, high
water use fi xtures, other amenities, and the
like that contribute to high water demand
relative to total population, which results in
high water use on a per capita basis.
The Town’s 2012-2013 daily average water
use was 1,159,871 gallons with approximately
811,910 gallons being residential use. At built-
out, based on the above methodology, the
average daily water demand is 2,865,348
gallons, and if the residential use is to be at
roughly 29%, the residential average daily
use would be 834,293 gallons. However,
the population served would be 7,750
versus today’s roughly 1,000. Therefore, the
challenge for the future is to understand
how to reduce high residential water use
and how to maintain such reduction. Water
conservation, in combination with other
best management practices, should be a
high priority for the Town.
Figure 84: Yield at Build-Out Table
ASSESSMENTS 103
Wastewater
The Town of Westlake has an agreement
in place with the Trinity River Authority
(TRA) in which TRA receives the Town’s
wastewater and conveys it to TRA’s
wastewater treatment facilities. The Town
is responsible for collecting the wastewater
in collection mains within the Town limits.
The Town’s topography does not always
accommodate gravity fl ow through its
wastewater collection mains. Pumping
of wastewater to overcome topographic
obstacles is required. The Town owns and
operates three lift stations: the Deloitte
Lift Station, Fidelity Lift Station, and Carroll
Lift Station that are utilized for pumping
wastewater. The Deloitte and Fidelity Lift
Stations are expandable and capacity
can be added as the Town grows. The
wastewater from Westlake ultimately fl ows
into another lift station owned by TRA, the
Kirkwood Lift Station, located in Southlake
on North White Chapel Boulevard north of
Wingate Lane. From there it is conveyed to
TRA’s Denton Creek Regional Wastewater
System treatment plant in Roanoke.
Figure 85: Town of Westlake’s Deloitte Lift Station
Figure 86: TRA’s Kirkwood Lift Station, located
in Southlake
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE104
An approximate distribution of water
demand at built-out across the Town is
shown in Figure 87.
The generation of wastewater will closely
follow where the water demand is shown
in Figure 87. Current wastewater fl ows are
indicative of high irrigation use as water
usage (70% residential, 30% non-residential)
is much greater than wastewater fl ows.
Historical wastewater fl ows for the Town
have normally been less than 150,000
gallons per day (while 2012-2013 average
water consumption was 1,159,871 gallons
per day) with the highest wastewater fl ows
recorded occurring during July and August
of 2011 at only around 211,000 gallons per
day. However, if in the future, non-residential
water use is 70%, wastewater fl ows will
increase. Westlake’s growth impact on the
TRA system may be less than that of other
communities that are served by the same
system, but at any rate, TRA must have time
to expand their system if required. Based on
the Town’s agreement with TRA, Westlake’s
wastewater fl ows shall not exceed 3.5 times
the Town’s estimated average daily fl ow
for more than a 24-hour period. Therefore,
it is key that the Town report its estimated
average daily fl ow and estimated growth
projections to TRA in a timely manner.
Sources: Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, USGS, Intermap, iPC, NRCAN, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), Esri (Thailand), TomTom, 2013Town of Westlake Trend Analysis - Water Demand / Wastewater Generation
Trend Analysis
WATER
0 - 100,000
100,000 - 200,000
200,000 - 300,000
300,000 - 400,000
400,000 - 500,000
500,000 - 600,000
City of
Westlake
Tarrant County
Denton County
[00.150.30.075 Miles
Figure 87: Water Demand and Wastewater
Generation Map
ASSESSMENTS 105
Stormwater
The stormwater runoff within the Town
of Westlake drains within two major
watersheds, the Marshall Branch watershed
and the Kirkwood Branch watershed. Each
of the watersheds’ main branches also
has a natural system of tributaries. Marshall
Branch and its three major tributaries, MB-3,
Paigebrook Creek, and Golf Course Creek
drain the western and central portions of
the Town. Kirkwood Branch and its tributary,
Higgins Branch, drain the eastern portion of
the Town.
Marshall Branch has a wetland complex
in its upper reach west and upstream of
Roanoke Road. Marshall Branch is also
wooded downstream of Ottinger Road
and upstream of Lake Turner. Lake Turner
is on Marshall Branch and is located
between Highway 114 and Ottinger Road.
Some erosion of the natural banks has
occurred on Marshall Branch downstream
of the spillway. Both Tributary MB-3 and
Paigebrook have some jurisdictional ponds.
Paigebrook Creek also includes a wooded
stream corridor south and upstream of
Dove Road. Golf Course Creek has three
jurisdictional ponds. It also includes a
hardwood forest downstream and north of
Dove Road (a distinct and diverse wetland
along and within the Fidelity Investment
tract, to the north of a pond) . There are
also other isolated and fringe wetlands
associated with the ponds.
Kirkwood Branch is heavily wooded from
Highway 114 upstream to Dove Road.
Higgins Branch’s entire reach within the
Town, from its confl uence with Kirkwood
Branch to upstream and south of Dove
Road, is also heavily wooded. Kirkwood
Branch also has jurisdictional ponds on
its upstream reaches. A fringe wetland
is located on the most southern pond of
Kirkwood Branch.
Floodplains
The fl ood zones mapped in the 2000 Federal
Emergency Management Agency Flood
Insurance Rate Maps include approximately
563.3 acres in the 100 year fl ood plain within
Westlake. When the Marshall and Kirkwood
Watersheds become fully developed,
stormwater fl ows will increase by about 30%.
Development that occurs in communities
upstream of Westlake will also increase the
fl ooding potential.
Figure 88: Lake Turner Spillway
Figure 89: Marshall Branch Erosion
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE106
Stormwater Runoff Management
Future development will increase impervious
areas that will contribute to increased
stormwater runoff. Based on land uses
allowed by zoning and PDs entitlements, the
intensities of impervious areas are shown in
Figure 90.
Although the Town of Westlake has man-
made ponds on its natural creeks, as
well as other urban type storm drainage
infrastructure within the Town, such as
spillways, culverts and storm drain inlets,
it enjoys a picturesque and seemingly
dominant natural system for managing
stormwater runoff. Initially, ranch
management practices, and now more
current land development, have altered the
native Cross Timbers and Prairies forestation
and vegetation in some areas. Lake Turner’s
dam confi guration has been modifi ed from
its original form and now has an emergency
spillway for larger fl ows. Golf Course Creek
currently has attenuation via two large
existing stock tanks, as well. Therefore,
similar and even more aggressive detention
practices should be implemented in the
future that will be in concert with upstream
development and development within the
Town. Such practices should be used to
mitigate fl ooding without increasing fl ood
plain areas, fl ood elevation and the erosion
of natural stream banks.
Sources: Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, USGS, Intermap, iPC, NRCAN, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), Esri (Thailand), TomTom, 2013Town of Westlake Trend Analysis - Impervious Surface Area
Trend Analysis
Impervious Surface (Acres)
0 - 50
51 - 100
100 - 125
125 - 200
200 - 250
City of
Westlake
Tarrant County
Denton County
[00.150.30.075 Miles
Figure 90: Impervious Surface Area Map
ASSESSMENTS 107
CONCLUSION
This Part One: Assessments Report has
revealed the current and projected
population growth rate, existing conditions,
land developability based on natural
conditions and entitlements, existing and
expected transportation and circulation
conditions, and existing and projected
infrastructure capacity; all of which present
opportunities and constraints for the Town
of Westlake. The following key items must
be considered as the Planning Team moves
into the Framework Plan, or Phase 2 of the
Planning Process:
Population and Demographics
• The projected population potential of
around 7,500 people.
• The population capacity of only 6,927
people at build-out.
• A mostly older (40-84 years of age)
population demographic will continue
to dominate Westlake, creating the
“Grand Parent Effect” at Westlake
Academy.
Existing Conditions
• There exists two different development
patterns: North/South and East/West as
a result of development history.
• There exists two cities (one more
residential and one more commercial)
and two road systems (one serving mainly
residential development and one serving
mainly commercial development – both
with distinctly different character).
• Commercial development is essential to
closing the Tax Gap at current tax rates.
• There is potential for future home value
diversifi cation.
• Westlake appears to the center of an
economic region, an area much larger
than its political Town boundaries.
Development Suitability
• Waterways, lowlands, and steep slopes
are very sensitive to development.
• There is around 18 million square feet
of commercial entitlements in PDs
that could signifi cantly change the
functionality and character of the Town.
• There is much potential to accommodate
both entitlements and natural systems in
land located within PDs.
Transportation and Circulation
• There is an estimated 300,000 internal
trips per day.
• Traffi c from the south into Westlake have
the current option of Dove Road, which
has low capacity.
• Streets in the current Land Use Plan
suggest choke points and serious
congestion at build-out.
Infrastructure Capacity
• Water usage is at an unsustainable rate.
• Detention capacity needs to be
examined with consideration of current
entitlements.
• Timing of non-Town suppliers must be
addressed.
The assessments set forth in this report provide
a foundation upon which the Planning
Team and the Westlake community will
manifest the Framework Plan. Among the
most challenging of goals in the next phase
is the need to reconcile the implications of
inevitable growth and the clearly expressed
desire to maintain the current pastoral
setting of Westlake. It will be with great
agility that such a reconciliation is made,
and from which, a useable Comprehensive
Plan will emerge.
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE108
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE
TOWN OF WESTLAKE, TEXAS
PART TWO: GOALS AND CITIZEN
PRIORITIES AND
FRAMEWORK PLAN REPORT
DECEMBER 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part Two: Goals and Citizen Priorities and
Framework Plan
Introduction 1
Goals and Citizen Priorites 2
Translating Workshop Comments
to Citizen Priorities 4
Deriving Goals from the 75
Citizen Priority Statements 14
Employing the Goals into
the Framework Plan 20
Use of the Framework Plan 27
GOALS AND CITIZEN PRIORITIES AND FRAMEWORK PLAN 1
PART 2: GOALS AND CITIZEN PRIORITIES AND FRAMEWORK PLAN
INTRODUCTION
Part Two of the Westlake Comprehensive
Plan Update consists of two sections: 1.
Goals and Citizen Priorities and Framework
Plan and 2. The Plan Elements. The fi rst
section of Part 2 serves as the foundation
upon which the second is built.
The Goals and Citizen Priorities and
Framework Plan can be viewed as guiding
documents that direct the planning work
that follows. Goals and Citizen Priorities
provide the Planning Team with:
• An understanding of what the current
residents of Westlake value and see
as important distinctions separating
Westlake from other cities and townships.
• An understanding of what the residents
of Westlake determine worthy of
preservation.
• An understanding of the level of change
that residents of Westlake are willing to
embrace.
• An understanding of resident preferences
for how planning issues confronting the
Town should be approached.
• An understanding of “Town” as held by
the current residents of Westlake.
• An understanding of the relationship
between residential development
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE2
(present and future) and forthcoming
non-residential development as entitled
by current zoning.
• An understanding of how the residents
and property owners of Westlake view
their connection with, and relationship
to, neighboring communities.
Once the Goals and Citizen Priorities were
established (bringing together inputs from
citizen participants in the Public Planning
Workshop #1), a Framework Plan was
produced to visually explain how these
guiding statements would impact the
physical form of Westlake (which was
presented in Public Planning Workshop
#2). The Framework Plan is a diagrammatic
portrayal of how goals and objectives would
likely be manifest using a graphic language
of districts, linkages, focal points, edges,
transitions, and hierarchies. The Framework
Plan is a template that reveals:
• The relationship between residential
and non-residential components of the
community that fulfi lls the understanding
of “Town”.
• The pattern of community districts
ranging from pastoral to urban relative
to the major views of the Town thereby
assuring preservation of visual character.
• The connection of residential and
commercial areas that naturally
accommodates the demand for
movement in a Town-centered system.
• The distribution of barriers and separations
meant to protect and preserve pastoral
areas.
• The transition from pastoral to urban
character that softens the effects of
change.
• The sequence and structure of focal and
district elements in a way that creates a
core Town area while also establishing
a location for both pastoral and urban
areas to support it.
The following text explains the Goals and
Citizen Priorities and Framework Plan
process and products.
Goals and Citizen Priorities
The purpose of having a planning phase
related to establishment of goal statements
is to assure that the plan developed
through this process is fi rmly founded upon
concerns of the citizenry and thereby, can
more clearly promote the public health and
welfare.
Public Planning Workshops #1 and #2 were
held at Westlake Academy on the evening
of January 11 and March 5, 2014. During
Workshop #1 (January 11, 2014), inputs
necessary to assemble Goals and Citizen
Priorities were gathered. The process through
which necessary inputs were gathered
included small discussion groups (each
with a geographic focus) discussing issues
fl owing from the consultant’s presentation
of present and emerging conditions/
trends, as well as response to specifi c
questions aimed at stimulating comment
on perception of place, future change,
and desired quality of life outcomes. Upon
conclusion of the presentation, workshop
attendees sat in breakout groups identifi ed
by their geographic area of concern (Figure
1. Workshop #1 Break-Out Group Areas) to
discuss the implications of the presented
material and to give their opinions/
preferences as to how such emerging
conditions should be manifest in the future
Town.
Key comments from the discussions were
documented on fl ip charts by steering
committee members. The charts were
presented to the gathered general assembly
of participants at the close of the evening
session. There were fi ve separate discussion
groups and together they produced 116
comments.
GOALS AND CITIZEN PRIORITIES AND FRAMEWORK PLAN 3
Upon completion of the meeting, the citizen
comments, as refl ected on the fl ip charts,
and all other notes made at the general
assembly were collected, reviewed and
distilled into goal statements by the Planning
Team. This process (described below) is
called the TRIO method. This method
is designed to yield a set of statements
consistent with the comments provided,
listed at a similar level of generality and are,
to the extent possible, mutually exclusive.
Figure 1: Workshop #1 Break-Out Group Areas
Figure 2: Workshop #1 Flip Chart Presentation
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE4
Translating Workshop Comments to Citizen
Priorities
The process employed to distill the wide
spectrum of 116 community comments into
a more concise list of mutually exclusive
statements at a similar level of generality
is called the TRIO method. The acronym
“TRIO” stands for:
• Themes: Themes are unifying
characteristics or characterizations
of place, setting, and/or community
that emerge in the breakout groups.
These are often characterizations of
outcomes that may be suggested by
various descriptive terms or phrases. For
example, the phrase “predominantly
undeveloped”, the term “agricultural”,
and caution to “preserve rural heritage”
all refl ect a thematic passion and desire
for preserving rural-ness as a feature of
the future city.
• Repeats: Repeats are particular phrases
or words that are simply repeated by
more than one breakout group. For
example, the term “picturesque”
appears on the fl ip chart of more than
one group, indicating that there is a
common preference of a composed,
natural setting.
• Input Indicators: Input Indicators are
statements of problems or conditions
that call for remedial action set in motion
by goals. The desire is for a different
outcome than the problem statement
or condition statement describe. For
example, complaints that Westlake is
“not easily accessible” or that Westlake
has “cut through on back roads” or
Westlake has “access issues” suggests
that people want better access that
does not encourage cut through traffi c.
• Output Indicators: Output Indicators
are statements of desired outcomes or
conditions that refl ect remedial action
set in motion by goals. Output Indicators
suggest goals that are required to
attain a stated outcome. For example,
statements like “maximize and increase
value of lake” suggest goals calling for
shared connection between community
lakes and residential areas, public parks,
trails or development in general.
Through the TRIO method, each of the 116
community comments are considered and
ultimately distilled into 75 statements called
Citizen Priority Statements.
Table 1 lists each of the 116 Workshop
generated comments and identifi es
whether they are a Theme, Repeat, Input
Indicator, or an Output Indicator. To the
left of each statement is a code which
indicates the discussion group in which the
statement was recorded. TD indicates the
Turner Group (the group focusing on the
area generally lying between the two creeks
fl owing into Lake Turner), SO indicates the
Solana Group (the group focusing on areas
in the east most portion of Westlake along
Highway 114), HT indicates the Hilltop Group
(the group focusing on areas generally
east of Marshall’s Branch), DL indicates
the Deloitte Group (the group focusing on
areas generally lying between the east
most creek fl owing into Lake Turner and the
creek fl owing into the lakes west of Fidelity
Investments), and EZ indicates the Edge
Zone West Group (the group focusing on
areas generally west of Marshall’s branch
and fronting Highway 170).
Note that the Themes are mostly about
recognition of the natural, pastoral, rural
character of Westlake and the desire for a
Town core. Also note that the Repeats are
mostly about the views and preservation of
the character of Westlake as understood
through these views. Input Indicators reveal
concern for addressing the potentials of
GOALS AND CITIZEN PRIORITIES AND FRAMEWORK PLAN 5
ThemeReptInptOupt
TD1:Picturesque X
TD2:Predomundeveloped X
TD3:Agricultural X
TD4:Educationcenter X
TD5:Noteasilyaccessible X
TD6:Cutthrough“BackRoad”X
TD7:Lakeunderappreciated X
TD8:Cemetery X
TD9:Vistas X
TD10:RollingHills X
TD11:Slowerpace X
TD12:Junctureof170/114keyintersection X
TD13:Dowantcommercialalongfrontageandbufferbetweenschooland
residential X
TD14:Dowantmorelandfortheschoolespecially X
TD15:Dowantathleticfields–school/townpossiblebuffer X
TD16:Dowantwalking/bikingtrails X
TD:17:Dowanthighdesignstandards X
TD18:Dowantopenspace,largelotsizestoallowuseoftopography X
TD19:Don’treplicateeverythingaroundus“enclave”X
TD20:Don’twantintenseusesthatdestroypastoralcommunity X
TD21:Don’twantwarehouse/lightindustrial X
TD22:Don’twantapartmentsandhighdensity X
TD23:Maximizeandincreasevaluelake X
TD24:UselakesforDetention(Read:centralizedetention)X
TD25:Uselakesfornaturalconservancy X
TD26:Uselakesfortrails X
TD27:Wanttrafficaroundandnotthroughit X
TD28:Trafficcongestionzone–paytoll…speedbumps X
TD29:MakeWestlakebetterwithoutdegradingit X
TD30:Fireservice(shared)X
TD31:Towncenter–HUB X
TD32:Dogpark X
TD33:Golfcourse X
TD34:ParkareaͲplayground…likespassive(???)parks X
TD35:Arboretums X
SO1:Likeopenspace X
SO2:Like2laneroads X
SO3:Likequiet X
SO4:Impressedbyquality X
SO5:Doveroadgettingworse…needE&Wartery X
SO6:Likepastoralsetting X
SO7:Viewedashealthymixofsinglefamily…commercial X
SO8:Potentialoverbuiltofcommercial X
SO9:ShouldhavemoresinglefamilyonMaguire…propertytoreduce
traffic(noretail)orofficetraffic X
SO10:Accessissues X
SO11:HavepropertyvalueissuesalongDoveduetotrafficalready X
SO12:Roundaboutsneeded X
SO13:Morearteriesneeded X
SO14:Setasiderightofwaynowtoplanforthefuture X
SO15:Newundeveloped200acres.DothisinnonͲSolanaareas X
Table 1. Citizen Workshop Comments TRIO
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE6
ThemeReptInptOupt
SO16:Makeittoughfortraffictogetthroughtowninordertokeep
tranquilfeelofWestlake X
SO17:Moreretentionponds…useasapropertyvalueincrease&amenity
&reduceflooding X
SO18:Trails X
SO19:Sidewalksonperimeteronly,toreducetheft X
SO20:Connectivityoftrails X
SO21:Noapartments X
SO22:Nopublictransportation(Read:thereisn’tpublictransportation)X
HT1:Densityofhousestobebuiltislessthan1ac./area–itwouldhave
tobeconsistentwiththerestofWestlake(average1ac.withthe
development)
X
HT2:Ruralspacegreenspace X
HT3:Needforofficecomplexusestostaywitha“campussetting”and
lowdensity X
HT4:NeedtoplanformasstransitͲpreservespacefortransit X
HT5:Vintage,country,space–lovetheseopenruralrelaxed X
HT6:Trafficwouldbeanimpact(RoanokeRd.shouldstay2lanes)X
HT7:Commercialshouldstaycloseto114 X
HT8:10%ofdevelopmentshouldbegreenspace,parks,trails,etc.X
HT8a:HikeandbikeconnecttocenterofWestlake X
HT9:Sidewalksindevelopareas X
HT10:Splitlevelbetweencartrafficandbike(Read:separatevehicular
andcommercialtraffic)X
HT11:“Roundabouts”,panforthem X
HT12:Preserveexistingcreeklands X
HT13:Preserveruralheritage X
HT14:NeedcommercialtobalanceAdValTax X
HT15:Zoningforcommercialdevelopmenttoincludestrictlandscape
requirements(meettownstandards)X
HT16:Standardsremainhigh X
HT17:Densityremainlow X
HT18:Measurestoreclaimawater X
DL1:Doveroadtraffic(Read:toomuchtrafficonDoveRoad)X
DL2:Growthrateseemsoptimistic(5000upperlimit/3,500preferred)X
DL3:1,000newhomesin5years ????
DL4:Idealicrightnow X
DL5:BothDUandFI“hidden”X
DL6:Retentionrequired,willreduceoverallfootprint X
DL7:Pastoralcommunity X
DL8:Disappointedifparcelssoldofffordistributionfacilities X
DL9:Higherenddevelopmentpreferred X
DL10:Nostripmalls X
DL11:DuplicateVaquero X
DL12:Keepdoingwhatyouaredoing X
DL13:Prefertodrivetoanothereconomiccenter X
DL14:Canresidentialsupporttowninlieuofcommercialtaxes X
DL15:Septicsystemcanbeanissue X
DL16:Pastoralsetting X
DL17:Schools(Read:qualityschools)X
Table 1, continued. Citizen Workshop Comments TRIO
GOALS AND CITIZEN PRIORITIES AND FRAMEWORK PLAN 7
change and making sure that needed
systems and protections are provided.
Finally, the Output Indicators show
aspirations for particular amenities, features,
outcomes, and conditions that will improve
life and value in Westlake. The work of the
discussion groups was extremely fruitful and
produced the kind of inputs necessary to
establish guiding Citizen Priority Statements
and Goal Statements.
Summary of Table 1 (above)
THEMES: Unifying characteristics or
characterizations.
TD 1: Predominantly undeveloped
TD 3: Agricultural
TD 9: Vistas
TD 10: Rolling hills
TD 28: Make Westlake better without
degrading it (read like what exists)
TD31: Town center – HUB
SO 1: Open space
SO 3: Quiet
SO 4: Quality
HT 5: Vintage, country, space – love these
open, rural, relaxed
HT 12: Preserve rural heritage
DL 1: Idealic right now
DL 12: Keep doing what you are doing
REPEATS: Particular phrases or words that
are repeated.
TD 1: Picturesque
SO 6: Like Pastoral setting
HT2: Rural Green Space
DL 7: Pastoral community
DL 15: Pastoral setting
DL 26: Pastures have fences (Read: preserve
rural setting)
ThemeReptInptOupt
DL18:Shouldgrandchildrengotoschoolaspopulationgrowsandages X
DL19:PoliceDept.needed?X
DL20:Don’tseparateresidentialandcommercialbya“wall”X
DL21:Don’tbuildtoedge,leaveabuffer X
DL22:Nosmallerlots X
DL23:Densitymoreimportantthanlotsize X
DL24:Requisitegreenspace X
DL25:Connectregionaltrails X
DL26:Pastureshavefences(Read:preserveruralsetting)X
DL27:Bikelanes X
DL28:Preservenativetrees…notasimportantasotherassets X
DL29:No6laneDove X
DL30:Dovekeepcurrentcharacteristics…notexpand X
DL31:Moreresources(Read:moreassets)X
DL32:Surfacedrainage,retentionponds…morenaturalnotcement X
DL33:Moreaggressivewaterrestriction X
EZ1:Gooddescriptionofarea–CommercialDistrict X
EZ2:Envisioncommercial/retail X
EZ3:Highdensityalongthiscorridor X
EZ4:Prefertrafficpatterncirclein–outvs.E/WN/S X
EZ5:Residents,quickaccesstomajorhighways X
EZ6:Futuregrowthtoimpactthisareamost X
EZ7:Roads–mostimportantconsiderationforplanning X
EZ8:Maintainlandscapecorridoronbothsidesofhighway X
TOTALS 1363562
Table 1, continued. Citizen Workshop
Comments TRIO
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE8
INPUT INDICATORS: Statements of problems
or conditions that call for remedial action
set in motion by goals…a different outcome
than the problem or condition described.
TD 5: Not easily accessible
TD6: Cut through back road
TD 7: Lake under appreciated
TD 8: Cemetery
TD 19: Don’t replicate everything around us,
“enclave”
TD 20: Don’t want intense uses that destroy
pastoral community
TD 21: Don’t want warehouse/ light industrial
TD 22: Don’t want apartments and high
density
TD 27: Want traffi c around and not through
it
SO 5: Dove road getting worse…need E&W
artery
SO 8: Potential overbuilt of commercial
SO 9: Should have more single family on
Maquire…property to reduce traffi c (no
retail or offi ce traffi c)
SO 10: Access issues
SO 11: Have property value issues along
Dove due to traffi c already
SO 12: Roundabouts needed
SO 13: More arteries needed
SO 19: Sidewalks on perimeter only to
reduce theft
SO 21: No apartments
SO 22: No public transportation (read: there
isn’t public transportation)
HT 6: Traffi c would be an impact (Roanoke
Road should stay 2 lanes)
HT 14: Need commercial to balance Ad Val
Tax
DL 1: Dove Road traffi c (Read: too much
traffi c on Dove Road)
DL 6: Retention required, will reduce overall
footprint
DL 8: Disappointed if parcels sold off for
distribution facilities
DL 13: Prefer to drive to another economic
center
DL 14: Can residential support Town in lieu of
commercial taxes
DL 15: Septic system can be an issue
DL 18: Should grandchildren go to school as
population grows and ages
DL 23: Density more important than lot size
DL 29: No 6 land Dove
DL 33: More aggressive water restriction
EZ 4: Prefer traffi c circle in – out vs, EW/ NS
EZ 6: Future growth to impact this area the
most
EZ 7: Roads most important consideration
for planning
OUTPUT INDICATORS: Statements of desired
outcomes or conditions that refl ect remedial
action set in motion by goals…goals
required to attain stated outcome.
TD 4: Education center
TD 11: Slower pace
TD 12: Juncture of 170/ 114, key intersection
TD 13: Do want commercial along frontage
and buffer between school and residential
TD 14: Do want more land for school,
especially
TD 15: Do want athletic fi elds – school/ town
possible buffer
TD 16: Do want walking/ biking trails
TD 17: Do want high design standards
TD 18: Do want open space, large lots to
allow use of topography
TD 23: Maximize and increase value of lake
TD 24: Use lakes for detention (Read:
centralize detention)
TD 25: Use lakes for natural conservancy
TD 26: Use lakes for trails
TD 28: Traffi c congestion zone – pay toll…
speed bumps
TD 30: Fire service (shared)
TD 32: Dog park
TD 33: Golf course
TD 34: Park area- play ground…likes passive
(???) parks
TD 35: Arboretums
SO 2: Like 2 lane roads
GOALS AND CITIZEN PRIORITIES AND FRAMEWORK PLAN 9
SO 7: Viewed as healthy mix of single family
and commercial
SO 14: Set aside right of way now o plan for
the future
SO 16: Make it tough for traffi c to get
through Town in order to keep tranquil feel
of Westlake
SO 17: More retention ponds…use as a
property value increase & amenity &
reduce fl ooding
SO 18: Trails
SO 20: Connectivity of trails
HT 1: Density of houses to be built is less than
1 acre – it would have to be consistent with
the rest of Westlake (average I ac. with the
development)
HT 3: Need for offi ce complex uses to stay
with a “campus setting” and low density
HT 4: Need to plan for mass transit – preserve
space for transit
HT 7: Commercial should stay close to 114
HT 8: 10% of development should be green
space, parks, trails, etc.
HT 8a: Hike and bike connect to center of
Westlake
HT 9: Sidewalks in developed areas
HT 10: Split level between car traffi c and
bike (Read: separate vehicular and bike
movement)
HT 11: Roundabouts, plan for them
HT 12: Preserve existing creek lands
HT 15: Zoning for commercial development
to include strict landscape requirements
(meet the Town standards)
HT 16: Standards remain high
HT 17: Density remain low
HT 18: Measures to reclaim water
DL 2: Growth rate seems optimistic (5,000
upper/ 3,500 preferred)
DL 5: DU and FI “hidden”
DL 9: Higher end development preferred
DL 10: No strip malls
DL 11: Duplicate Vaquero
DL 17: Schools (Read: quality schools)
DL 19: Police Dept. needed?
DL 20: Don’t separate residential and
commercial by a “wall”
DL 21: Don’t build to edge leave a buffer
DL 22: No smaller lots
DL 24: Requite green space
DL 25: Connect regional trails
DL 27: Bike lanes
DL 28: Preserve native trees…not as
important as other assets
DL 30: Dove keep current characteristics…
not expand
DL 31: More resources (Read: more assets)
DL 32: Surface drainage, retention ponds…
more natural, not cement
EZ 1: Good description of area – commercial
district
EZ 2: Envision commercial/ retail
EZ 3: High density along this corridor
EZ 5: Residents, quick access to major
highways
EZ 8: Maintain landscape corridor on both
sides of highway
OUTLIERS: Statements that do not relate to
goals
SO 15: New undeveloped 200 acres. Do
this in non-Solana areas
DL 3: 1,000 new homes in 5 years
Formulating the Citizen Priorities from
Discussion Group Comments
The following list presents the translation
of discussion group comments into Citizen
Priority Statements. Citizen Priority Statements
are the underpinnings of Goal Statements
to follow and act to illustrate how any goal
should be applied. Each statement starts
with a verb, suggesting action. Then, the
statement suggests the purpose of the
action and, where needed, adds action
qualifi ers. To illustrate, a statement such as
“Preserve the sense of balance between
residential and commercial development
by promoting continuity of development
forms, pallet of landscaping, meaningful/
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE10
functional buffers, built area to land
area ratios, and character of the street
experience” starts with the desired action
(namely Preserve) aimed at a particular
purpose (the sense of balance between
residential and commercial development).
The community input informing this
statement refers to the current balance
between the two uses (output indicator),
which is understood as a balance because
the essence of the balance referred to is
a sense of openness, residential forms in
commercial design, campus confi guration
of commercial development, and ground
plane continuity that speaks to the rural-
ness of Westlake. Therefore, it is necessary
to add additional conditions to the
statement that capture the essence of
balance and this is contained in the many
visual characteristics typical of the current
condition (such as continuity, landscaping,
open space buffers, and the amount of the
perceived level of undeveloped land to
developed land). The follow list of Citizen
Priority Statements takes the 116 Discussion
Group Comments and reduces them into 75
Citizen Priority Statements. The statements
are presented below according to the
common area of concern they address.
CITIZEN PRIORITY STATEMENTS DERIVED FROM
COMMUNITY COMMENTS at WORKSHOP #1
(before public review at Public Workshop
#2)
Views:
1. Maintain views of a largely undeveloped
foreground as Westlake grows.
2. Maintain views of agricultural land and
agricultural activities as Westlake grows
3. Maintain distant vistas from higher
elevations
4. Maintain views of natural topography
5. Maintain view sheds that contain
essential elements of Westlake’s pastoral
character.
Visual Image
1. Create development standards on
features that promote and preserve the
picturesque and pastoral qualities of
Westlake and reinforce the notion of a
“pastoral community”.
2. Promote a rural character in present
open spaces and future open space
expansion.
Quality of life
1. Preserve the quiet rural character of
Westlake in residential areas and in the
public domain
2. Preserve Westlake’s sense of “slow
paced” life as it develops by promoting
experiential and visual characteristics
associated with the current non-
encroachment condition.
Preservation
1. Preserve the rural and agricultural
features of cultural signifi cance
2. Preserve natural corridors
3. Preserve sense of openness in the
continuity of a ground plane that is not
interrupted by opaque fences or walls.
Visual Image/Identity
1. Promote aspects of rural heritage in
future development
2. Promote a visual character that
communicates a high quality of building
and landscape construction, both public
and private
3. Encourage development patterns in
the western portions of Westlake that
preserve landmark characteristics of this
landscape and embody visual qualities
that continue rural characteristics.
4. Promote design excellence in land and
landscape development, both public
and private.
5. Preserve the natural land profi les and
landmark land forms as well as promote
greater open space as Westlake
GOALS AND CITIZEN PRIORITIES AND FRAMEWORK PLAN 11
develops through regulation of building
to land area relationships.
6. Preserve the sense of balance
between residential and commercial
development by promoting continuity
of development forms, pallet of
landscaping, meaningful/ functional
buffers, built area to land area ratios,
and character of the street experience.
7. Maintain a continuity between
the character of future smaller lot
development and the dominant
larger lot developments of Westlake
by a consistency in landscape, design
quality, and general visual character
of development as seen from the street
(internally and externally).
8. Promote non-residential/ offi ce
development that hosts a signifi cant
ground plane of pedestrian features
and visual amenities, instead of parking
and service, and that ground planes
of neighboring projects fl ow together
to create a more campus like setting
overall.
9. Maintain trajectory of small residential
population at build-out in order to
promote small town sense of community.
10. Establish development standards that
discourage the direct visual connection
or orthogonal orientation between
roadways and structure that is typical of
most suburban development.
11. Establish development guidelines that
discourage typical strip like, suburban
commercial development
12. Promote a continued use of natural
forms in, and non-structured means
of, storm water management and
detention facility design.
13. Promote the continued creation of
environmental, cultural, educational,
and visual assets for Westlake in all
private and public development.
14. Promote the aggregate and singular
identity of multiple private projects,
especially in the commercial areas
of Westlake so that the Town attains a
coherent overall identity rather than
multiple autonomous identities.
15. Promote a special freeway scape
identity for Westlake where it lies on both
sides of 170 and 114.
Urban Form
1. Create a Town Center/ HUB.
2. Create a future relationship between
commercial and residential that is
rooted in the current pastoral identity of
Westlake.
3. Maintain Westlake’s sense of separation
from surrounding typical commercial
and residential development
4. Focus the commercial components of
Westlake to locations along the 114 and
170 portions of the community.
5. Create meaningful and purposeful
buffers between single family, lower
density, residential uses and non-
residential development that link
activities while protecting the residential
areas from encroachment.
6. Promote the aggregation of higher
density in the 170/114 corridor instead
of a uniform density overall, thereby
lessening total land coverage.
7. Encourage aggregation of current
entitlement rights where possible in ways
that contribute to a greater amount of
undeveloped land.
Development Form
1. Encourage less development coverage
of land and promote the use of land
for enhanced retention and other
landscape amenities.
2. Establish development standards for
more creative regulation of density
instead of simply lot size.
3. Encourage the predominantly non-
residential growth of western portions
of Westlake to properly compliment
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE12
the residential portions of Westlake and
preserve/ enhance residential values.
Accessibility
1. Make pedestrian movement from
neighborhoods to desired destinations
within Westlake more conveniently
accessible
2. Make the commercial areas of
Westlake accessible to patrons
without encroaching upon residential
neighborhoods.
Vehicular Circulation/Traffi c
1. Discourage cut through traffi c on local
and residential roadways including
the provision of a roadway system that
accesses residential and non-residential
areas of Westlake from perimeter
roadways that prevent the need for
cross town vehicular movement
2. Encourage traffi c movement around
Westlake more than through Westlake
3. Relieve the growing traffi c pressure on
Dove Road while preserving the rural
image of Dove Road.
4. Mitigate the negative impact of high
traffi c volumes on residential property
values.
5. Mitigate the negative impact of high
traffi c volumes on the rural character of
local roadways.
6. Provide additional circulation capacity
that protects local residential roadways
from traffi c inundation.
7. Create a thoroughfare system built upon
a road typology that recognizes the
need for different street classifi cations
which include high and low traffi c
volume capacity as well as roadways
with a more rural character.
8. Minimize the encroachment of
commercial traffi c onto residential
roadways and/or through residential
areas by such measures as implementing
traffi c calming techniques (such as
roundabouts) to discourage traffi c
encroachment and enhance pedestrian
safety.
9. Manage traffi c to prevent traffi c
congestion through the use of traffi c
calming measures where appropriate
and by intersection capacity
improvements to enhance the level of
service at key intersection locations.
10. Relieve potential traffi c congestion zones
through the provision of user funded lane
capacity where feasible.
11. Anticipate future vehicular circulation
needs and take measures to secure right
of way availability.
12. Separate vehicular and bike/ pedestrian
movement spatially and/ or functionally
in order to facilitate effi cient vehicular
traffi c fl ow and enhance bike/ pedestrian
safety and user experience.
13. Preserve and promote the convenient
access to major roadways for the
residents of Westlake.
Alternate Modal Movement
1. Promote sidewalks along the perimeter
of all residential development and
assure connections to non-residential
development.
2. Provide Public Transportation for
residents and local patrons/ employees
that work and or shop in Westlake which
moves people within commercial areas,
reduces trip generation of commercial
areas, and provides better connection
between residential areas and
Westlake’s commercial center.
3. Create a workable system of walking and
biking trails that links points of trip origin
with desired destinations and integrates
with regional trail systems.
4. Employ existing and future lakes/water
bodies and other natural in the overall
Westlake trail system.
5. Encourage the connection of individually
constructed trail facilities as they are
GOALS AND CITIZEN PRIORITIES AND FRAMEWORK PLAN 13
built and assure connection to desired
destinations within Westlake.
Land Use
1. Promote for sale housing options over
rental housing options where ever
possible
2. Discourage the development of
distribution facilities in Westlake and
maintain a land use differentiation from
land development to the west.
3. Promote and encourage compatibility
between commercial development in
Westlake and other commercial centers
that contributes to greater economic
vigor overall and prevents competition
between commercial centers in the
region.
4. Preserve and promote the single
family character of the Solana area as
commercial PD’s develop.
5. Maximize the opportunity of the strategic
importance of the 170/ 114 intersection
to create a center and identity that is
uniquely Westlake and enhance the
value of Westlake overall.
6. Encourage larger lot development
contiguous to existing residential areas.
Value/Financial Sustainability
1. Make vehicular movement for Westlake
residents from home to destinations
more accessible
2. Maintain a balance between the Ad
Valorem revenues of non-residential
and residential development so that
property taxes on residential property do
not have to be disproportionately raised
to accommodate the impacts of future
development in and around Westlake.
Academy Sustainability
1. Maintain the Academy’s continued
availability to the resident children of
Westlake as Westlake and the areas
around Westlake grow through facility
expansion and/ or enrollment policy
revisions as appropriate.
Education
1. Improve and promote Westlake’s
growing reputation as a community
of educational excellence and
educational opportunity.
Water Ways, Water Bodies, and Natural
Systems
1. Encourage the gathering of required
detention into major environmental
amenities for the city.
2. Maximize the potential of present
and future lakes and water courses to
enhance the value of residential and
non-residential development.
3. Centralize detention as much as possible
in current lakes/ ponds and other “in-
line” water catchment areas in order
to encourage larger, more useful, and
more recreational water bodies.
4. Anticipate the effects of upstream
development in Keller and Southlake on
the confi guration of future fl ood areas
and water fl ow management systems
(including creek ways, lakes, and
ponds) and secure area for fl oodway/
water body expansions as they are
needed and use such increases to
further enhance the open space and
recreational assets of Westlake.
Infrastructure and Public Facilities
1. Create or expand a city sewer system
that relieves the predominance of septic
systems as Westlake grows.
2. Provide adequate fi re service to
accommodate both residential and non-
residential demand for such services,
meet the requirements of insurers, and
prevent future loss of life or signifi cant
property damage to other properties.
3. Provide adequate police service to
accommodate both residential and
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE14
non-residential demand for such services,
meet the requirements of insurers, and
prevent future loss of life or signifi cant
property loss.
Environmental Sustainability and
Conservation
1. Promote water conservation and reduce
water usage
2. Preserve existing creek ways and creek
areas associated with them through
creation of preserves/parks and/ or
development standards that promote
responsive, low impact development
practices.
3. Initiate natural and system supported
measures to reclaim and reuse water
where appropriate.
4. Preserve signifi cant native trees and tree
communities, especially within riparian
areas.
5. Use existing and future lakes as facilities
for water conservation and waterways
serving them as places of natural
conservancy.
Parks and Recreation
1. Provide park and recreation opportunities
that serve the needs of Westlake’s
present and future population (such as
dog parks, playgrounds, and public golf
course).
2. Provide recreational opportunities
that are more undeveloped passive
open spaces that serve less intense
and contemplative activities (such as
Arboretum or natural preserve).
Deriving Goals from the 75 Citizen Priority
Statements
The Citizen Priority Statements listed
above are gathered under headings that
indicate areas of common concern. The
statements are descriptive of the expected
performance of any action taken in the area
of common concern and are, therefore,
descriptive of a goal related to the area of
common concern. The following list presents
the goals that these statements suggest
for each area of concern. Beneath each
Planning Goal Statement are the Citizen
Priorities (which support the goal). The red
text shown indicates additions to the above
Citizen Priority Statement list that came as
a result of public review in Public Workshop
#2. This list is the fi nal list of Planning Goals
and Citizen Priority Statements and is used
to guide the planning work presented in
this Comprehensive Plan Update. These
Statements should be reviewed from time to
time and used as a guide to clarify meaning
of the plan elements and their application.
Views
General Goal: Future views from residential
areas should present qualities of vista,
naturalness, pastoral/ agricultural character,
and sense of openness that exist today.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Maintain views of a largely undeveloped
foreground as Westlake grows.
2. Maintain views of agricultural land and
agricultural activities as Westlake grows
3. Maintain distant vistas from higher
elevations
4. Maintain views of natural topography
5. Maintain view sheds that contain
essential elements of Westlake’s pastoral
character.
Visual Image
General Goal 1: Future development should
perpetuate picturesque and pastoral
qualities that promote a visual identity
associated with rural-ness
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Create development standards defi ning
features of development that promote
and preserve the picturesque and
GOALS AND CITIZEN PRIORITIES AND FRAMEWORK PLAN 15
pastoral qualities of Westlake and
reinforce the notion of a “pastoral
community”.
2. Promote a rural character in present
open spaces and future open space
expansion
3. Promote aspects of rural heritage in
future development
General Goal 2: Future development
should embody recognizable quality of
building and site design as well as maintain
an overall balance and continuity between
commercial and residential portions of the
Town.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Promote a visual character that
communicates a high quality of building
and landscape construction, both
public and private
2. Encourage development patterns in
the western portions of Westlake that
preserve landmark characteristics of this
landscape and embody visual qualities
that continue rural characteristics.
3. Promote design excellence in land and
landscape development, both public
and private.
4. Preserve the sense of balance
between residential and commercial
development by promoting continuity
of development forms, pallet of
landscaping, meaningful/ functional
buffers, built area to land area ratios,
and character of the street experience.
5. Maintain a continuity between
the character of future smaller lot
development and the dominant
larger lot developments of Westlake
by a consistency in landscape, design
quality, and general visual character
of development as seen from the street
(internally and externally).
6. Promote non-residential/ offi ce
development that hosts a signifi cant
ground plane of pedestrian features
and visual amenities, instead of parking
and service, and that ground planes
of neighboring projects fl ow together
to create a more campus like setting
overall.
7. Maintain trajectory of small residential
population at build-out in order to
promote small town sense of community.
8. Establish development standards that
discourage the direct visual connection
or orthogonal orientation between
roadways and structure that is typical of
most suburban development.
9. Establish development guidelines that
discourage typical strip like, suburban
commercial development
10. Promote a continued use of natural forms
in, and non-structured means of, storm
water management and detention
facility design.
11. Promote the continued creation of
environmental, cultural, educational,
and visual assets for Westlake in all
private and public development.
12. Promote the aggregate and singular
identity of multiple private projects,
especially in the commercial areas
of Westlake so that the Town attains a
coherent overall identity rather than
multiple autonomous identities.
13. Promote a special freeway scape
identity for Westlake where it lies on both
sides of 170 and 114.
Quality of life
General Goal: Future Westlake should
continue to be a place where one can live
a “slow paced” life style in a quiet, rural like
setting.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Preserve the quiet rural character of
Westlake in residential areas and in the
public domain.
2. Develop strategies that encourage and
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE16
inspire commercial development to
incorporate visual qualities refl ective of
Westlake’s “rural like setting”.
3. Preserve Westlake’s sense of “slow
paced” life as it develops by promoting
experiential and visual characteristics
associated with the current non-
encroachment condition.
Preservation
General Goal: Future Westlake should
contain essential scenic, cultural, and
architectural features which are a legacy of
its rural heritage.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Preserve the rural and agricultural
features of cultural signifi cance
2. Preserve natural corridors
3. Preserve sense of openness in the
continuity of a ground plane that is not
interrupted by opaque fences or walls
4. Preserve the natural land profi les and
landmark land forms as well as promote
greater open space as Westlake
develops through regulation of building
to land area relationships.
Urban Form
General Goal: Future Westlake should
come together as an overall town form
with an identifi able Town center, residential
areas and employment areas, tied together
by streets, trails, and transitional buffers
that maximize resident convenience and
protect residential areas from commercial
encroachment.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Create a Town Center/ HUB that is
uniquely Westlake, and organic center
to the Town, and more than a retail
development that looks like a Town
Center.
2. Create a future relationship between
commercial and residential that is
rooted in the current pastoral identity of
Westlake.
3. Maintain Westlake’s sense of separation
from surrounding typical commercial
and residential development
4. Focus the commercial components of
Westlake to locations along the 114 and
170 portions of the community.
5. Create meaningful and purposeful
buffers between single family, lower
density, residential uses and non-
residential development that link
activities while protecting the residential
areas from encroachment.
6. Promote the aggregation of higher
density in the 170/114 corridor instead
of a uniform density overall, thereby
lessening total land coverage.
7. Encourage aggregation of current
entitlement rights where possible in ways
that contribute to a greater amount of
undeveloped land
Development Form
General Goal: Future development should
create a greater level of amenity and
residential compatibility for the Town.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Encourage less development coverage
of land and promote the use of land
for enhanced retention and other
landscape amenities.
2. Establish development standards for
more creative regulation of density
instead of simply lot size.
3. Encourage the predominantly non-
residential growth of western portions
of Westlake to properly compliment
the residential portions of Westlake and
preserve/ enhance residential values.
Accessibility
General Goal: Future Westlake should
have a coherent trail (pedestrian and bike
trails) that link residential areas to important
GOALS AND CITIZEN PRIORITIES AND FRAMEWORK PLAN 17
destinations within the Town.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Make pedestrian movement from
neighborhoods to desired destinations
within Westlake more conveniently
accessible, easily identifi able, and safer
(such as eliminate pedestrian confl icts
with barbed wire).
2. Encourage the use of City sidewalks
and Trails by children as a means of
going to school by enhancing safety,
convenience, and educational
potential.
3. Implement grade separated street
crossings for trails where feasible.
4. Make the commercial areas of
Westlake accessible to patrons
without encroaching upon residential
neighborhoods or bisecting
development properties.
Vehicular Circulation/ Traffi c
General Goal: Future Westlake should have
a functional roadway network that protects
property values and rural character by
providing additional road capacity where
needed to prevent the encroachment of
commercial traffi c into residential areas
and keeps commercial circulation north of
residential areas.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Discourage cut through traffi c on local
and residential roadways including
the provision of a roadway system that
accesses residential and non-residential
areas of Westlake from perimeter
roadways that prevent the need for
cross town vehicular movement
2. Encourage traffi c movement around
Westlake more than through Westlake
3. Relieve the growing traffi c pressure on
Dove Road while preserving the rural
image of Dove Road.
4. Mitigate the negative impact of high
traffi c volumes on residential property
values.
5. Mitigate the negative impact of high
traffi c volumes on the rural character of
local roadways.
6. Provide additional circulation capacity
that protects local residential roadways
from traffi c inundation.
7. Create a thoroughfare system built upon
a road typology that recognizes the
need for different street classifi cations
which include high and low traffi c
volume capacity as well as roadways
with a more rural character.
8. Minimize the encroachment of
commercial traffi c onto residential
roadways and/or through residential
areas by such measures as implementing
traffi c calming techniques (such as
roundabouts) to discourage traffi c
encroachment and enhance pedestrian
safety.
9. Manage traffi c to prevent traffi c
congestion through the use of traffi c
calming measures where appropriate
and by intersection capacity
improvements to enhance the level of
service at key intersection locations.
10. Relieve potential traffi c congestion
zones through the provision of user
funded lane capacity where feasible.
11. Anticipate future vehicular circulation
needs and take measures to secure right
of way availability.
12. Separate vehicular and bike/ pedestrian
movement spatially and/ or functionally
in order to facilitate effi cient vehicular
traffi c fl ow and enhance bike/
pedestrian safety and user experience.
13. Preserve and promote the convenient
access to major roadways and
destinations for the residents of Westlake,
including Highway 170 and Highway 114.
Alternate Modal Movement
General Goal: Future Westlake should
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE18
reduce vehicular trips and promote
pedestrian safety/ convenience through
the provision of trails, sidewalks, and public
transit.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Promote sidewalks along the perimeter
of all residential development and
assure connections to non-residential
development without bisecting
development parcels.
2. Promote a complete system of Bike and
Pedestrian Trails that connects places
where people live to places people
want to go, in Westlake.
3. Provide Public Transportation for
residents and local patrons/ employees
that work and or shop in Westlake (when
feasible based on build-out demand)
which moves people within commercial
areas, reduces trip generation of
commercial areas, and provides better
connection between residential areas
and Westlake’s commercial center.
4. Create a workable system of walking and
biking trails that links points of trip origin
with desired destinations and integrates
with regional trail systems.
5. Employ existing and future lakes/water
bodies and other natural in the overall
Westlake trail system.
6. Encourage the connection of individually
constructed trail facilities as they are
built and assure connection to desired
destinations within Westlake and tie
into regional trails that interface with
Westlake’s borders.
7. Designate Truck Routes that preserve
maximum roadway capacity and
protect residential areas from truck
encroachment.
Land Use
General Goal: Future Westlake should have
clearly defi ned residential and commercial
areas that reinforce single family values
and neighborhoods as well as distinguished
Westlake from other Cities and Townships in
the general region.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Promote for sale housing options over
rental housing options where ever
possible
2. Discourage the development of
distribution facilities in Westlake and
maintain a land use differentiation from
land development to the west.
3. Promote and encourage compatibility
between commercial development in
Westlake and other commercial centers
that contributes to greater economic
vigor overall and prevents competition
between commercial centers in the
region.
4. Preserve and promote the single
family character of the Solana area as
commercial PD’s develop.
5. Maximize the opportunity of the strategic
importance of the 170/ 114 intersection
to create a center and identity that is
uniquely Westlake and enhance the
value of Westlake overall.
6. Encourage larger lot development
contiguous to existing residential areas.
7. Promote the creation of natural buffers
(landscaped open space) between
confl icting land uses.
Value/ fi nancial Sustainability
General Goal: Future Westlake should
continue to have an ad valorem tax base
suffi cient to serve future fi nancial needs.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Preserve Westlake’s distinctively low ad
valorem tax rate on residential properties.
2. Maintain a balance between the Ad
Valorem revenues of non-residential
and residential development so that
property taxes on residential property do
not have to be disproportionately raised
GOALS AND CITIZEN PRIORITIES AND FRAMEWORK PLAN 19
to accommodate the impacts of future
development in and around Westlake.
Academy Sustainability
General Goal: Future Westlake Academy
should meet the educational needs of
Westlake’s future population with continued
high quality educational services and
facilities.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Maintain the Academy’s continued
availability to the resident children of
Westlake as Westlake and the areas
around Westlake grow through facility
expansion and/ or enrollment policy
revisions as appropriate.
Education
General Goal: Future Westlake should be
an educational center.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Improve and promote Westlake’s
growing reputation as a community
of educational excellence and
educational opportunity.
2. Expand educational opportunities
to additional schools (such as
preparatory school) and venues (such
as interpretative nature trails) that give
Westlake a unique value associated with
a strong commitment to educational
experiences and opportunities.
Water Ways, Water Bodies, and Natural
Systems
General Goal: Future Westlake should
transform future detention needs into a
system of distinctive water features and
amenities for the Town.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Encourage the gathering of required
detention into major environmental
amenities for the city.
2. Maximize the potential of present
and future lakes and water courses to
enhance the value of residential and
non-residential development.
3. Centralize detention as much as possible
in current lakes/ ponds and other “in-
line” water catchment areas in order
to encourage larger, more useful, and
more recreational water bodies.
4. Anticipate the effects of upstream
development in Keller and Southlake on
the confi guration of future fl ood areas
and water fl ow management systems
(including creek ways, lakes, and
ponds) and secure area for fl oodway/
water body expansions as they are
needed and use such increases to
further enhance the open space and
recreational assets of Westlake.
Infrastructure and Public Facilities
General Goal: Future Westlake should have
suffi cient infrastructure and emergency
services to assure the continued health and
safety of the Town’s full time and daytime
populations.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Create or expand a city sewer system
that relieves the predominance of septic
systems as Westlake grows.
2. Provide adequate fi re service to
accommodate both residential and non-
residential demand for such services,
meet the requirements of insurers, and
prevent future loss of life or signifi cant
property damage to other properties.
3. Provide adequate police service to
accommodate both residential and non-
residential demand for such services,
meet the requirements of insurers, and
prevent future loss of life or signifi cant
property loss.
4. Form public/ private partnerships to
facilitate private assistance with the cost
of improved emergency services.
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE20
Environmental Sustainability and
Conservation
General Goal: Future Westlake should
be a model of water conservation and
environmental preservation for the area.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Promote water conservation and reduce
water usage
2. Preserve existing creek ways and creek
areas associated with them through
creation of preserves/parks and/ or
development standards that promote
responsive, low impact development
practices.
3. Initiate natural and system supported
measures to reclaim and reuse water
where appropriate.
4. Preserve signifi cant native trees and tree
communities, especially within riparian
areas.
5. Use existing and future lakes as facilities
for water conservation and waterways
serving them as places of natural
conservancy.
Parks and Recreation
General Goal: Future Westlake should be
a Town offering its residents distinctive
recreation and park opportunities.
Supporting Citizen Priorities:
1. Provide park and recreation opportunities
that serve the needs of Westlake’s
present and future population (such as
dog parks, playgrounds, and public golf
course).
2. Provide recreational opportunities
that are more undeveloped passive
open spaces that serve less intense
and contemplative activities (such as
Arboretum or natural preserve).
Employing the Goals in the Framework Plan
The completed Goal Statements (listed
above) are the guiding elements of the
Plan. Once published, these statements
describe the nature of solution that planners
should seek. The planning challenge is to
fi nd a diagrammatic vision for Westlake
that harmonizes existing entitlements
and previously proposed plans with the
directives set by the citizens, residents, and
land owners of Westlake. In order to do this,
the Planning Team produced a Framework
Plan, which is a graphic portrayal of the
goal statements. The Framework Plan is
diagrammatic in nature; suggesting the
areas, links, focal points, edge conditions,
and sequences described by the community
inputs. The visual elements of the diagram
are zones, linkages, focal points, edges,
and relationship to characteristic vistas.
While not a plan, the Planning Framework is
a consensus document (confi rmed in Public
Workshop #2) that portrays the meaning
of Planning Goals and Citizen Priority
Statements in geographic terms. Therefore,
the Planning Framework is the “template”
for the Comprehensive Plan work to follow.
The Planning Framework is derived through
a six step process as follows:
Step 1: Building On the Issue of Views.
The Citizen Priority Statements reveal the
importance of the “visual Township” to
the residents, citizens, and landowners
of Westlake. The following set of images
(referred to as the View Analysis) present
the form of the “view settings” that make
Westlake distinctive.
GOALS AND CITIZEN PRIORITIES AND FRAMEWORK PLAN 21
The Westlake View Analysis identifi es 5 view
conditions as follows:
Vista Point Zone (yellow):
• The Sectors from which recognizable
views are typically seen.
• Typically northerly views.
Vista Termini (red)
• The recognizable views/promontory
landforms of Westlake
• Typically exceed elevations of 690 ft.
above sea level.
Vista Shade Zone (blue):
• Areas generally along 114, north of Vista
Termini (red)
• Largely obscured from view by the Vista
Termini
View Shed Zone (purple):
• Areas not visually screened or obscured
by high elevation land forms
• Area lies within the vista seen from the
Vista Point Zone
View Corridor Zone (green):
• Linear views usually along creek-ways
• Host water bodies and wooded areas.
• Important visual asset.
The view conditions respond to the Citizen
Priority Statements calling for protection of
and recognition of the “view fabric” that
distinguishes Westlake and is, therefore, the
fi rst framework element established in the
creation of a Framework Plan for Westlake.
Figure 3: View Conditions
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE22
Step 2: Protecting the Pastoral Pathways
and Pastoral Areas. Other important
concerns of participants at the Public
Planning Workshops #1 and #2 was that of
protecting the pastoral quality of residential
areas in the southern portions of Westlake,
which includes the preservation of rural
street character and protecting these
streets from excessive traffi c. Therefore,
the second installment toward creation of
a Framework Plan is the identifi cation of
rural like roadways. The diagrammatic map
above shows those roadways as “Pastoral
Links”.
Note that the Pastoral Links are those
roadways serving existing residential areas
of the Town, thereby, putting the residential
portions of Westlake on a pastoral system.
Figure 4: Pastoral Links
GOALS AND CITIZEN PRIORITIES AND FRAMEWORK PLAN 23
Step 3: Creating a Town Movement
System. The citizen participants in the
Public Planning Workshops expressed
the desire for a coherent Town-specifi c
vehicular circulation system instead of a
system extending into Westlake from Keller/
Southlake (south) and from Highway 114
(north). Instead, there was a desire for
Westlake to reach out from within and
connect to the areas around it, thereby
expressing itself as a Town. Therefore, the
third installment in creation of a Framework
Plan is the indication of a Town-centric
Circulation System that reaches from the
center out, thereby establishing Westlake
as a place within the ubiquitous fabric of
the Highway 114 corridor.
Note that the Town Links are the primary
connections to pastoral links, which
are further protected by traffi c calming
initiatives. This means that one must enter
the Town in order to enter the residential
areas of the Town.
Figure 5: Town Links
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE24
Step 4: Establishing a place of Town
Convergence (a HUB). One of the themes
among discussion group participants was
the desire to ground the town form with a
functioning Town Hub. Therefore, the fourth
installment in creation of a Framework
Plan is the indication of a centralized point
for Town circulation which, as a result of
its importance to movement patterns,
will be understood as a Town Hub or
Town Common. The diagrammatic map
above shows the structural center of Town
movement as a Town Hub/Common. Town
movement in this diagram is both vehicular
AND pedestrian movement.
Note that the pedestrian system (trails) is
indicated to link all residential areas to the
hub of Town activity.
Figure 6: Town Hub
GOALS AND CITIZEN PRIORITIES AND FRAMEWORK PLAN 25
Step 5: Protecting the Viewed Township.
The view analysis reveals that much of the
characteristic views of Westlake occur in
the foreground between the Vista Point
Areas (generally the pastoral areas) and
the Vista Termini, the rising landscape
that terminates at the hilltops located
between residential areas (to the south)
and commercial areas (to the north).
Therefore, the fi fth installment in creation of
a Framework Plan is designation of a viewed
landscape which is called open space.
This viewed landscape also addresses the
prevailing citizen concern for protecting
and preserving the natural and rural assets
of the Town in the face of pending growth.
This common open space designation
also brings residential and non-residential
activities together in a meaningful way.
Note that the creation of an open space
core establishes a central landscape
through which the ordinary vehicular and
pedestrian movement of the Town passes.
Figure 7: Open Space
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE26
Step 6: Transitioning from pastoral to urban
through a sequenced set of Community
Types that relate to Views. The resident
participants in discussion groups called
for a “balance” between residential and
commercial development. They want that
balance to occur in a way that preserved
the rural-ness of Westlake and protect
distinctive features of its landscape.
Therefore, the sixth installment in creation
of a Framework Plan is establishing a
compliment of communities arrayed around
a central landscape element that protects
the land features, buffers residential/non-
residential adjacencies, and provides an
appropriate setting for Town elements. The
Community Types shown in the Framework
plan are:
• The Pastoral Community: Primarily
residential areas in the southern portions
of the Town and served by the Pastoral
Links. Also the area in which the Vista
Points are located.
• The Town Community: A place served
by the Town linkage system that should
relate to the needs of the Town as well
as the needs of the region.
• Town Hub/Town Common Community:
The area which is the focal point of
the Town fabric, the center of Town
movement, the primary Town destination.
• The View Shed Community: The portions
of the Town (currently zoned offi ce)
that lie within the view seen from higher
elevations (Vista Points)
• The Regional Community: The primary
commercial frontage of Highway 114
and the area most hidden from view as
seen from the Pastoral Community.
Figure 8: Community Types
GOALS AND CITIZEN PRIORITIES AND FRAMEWORK PLAN 27
Note that all the Community Types are
arrayed within a system of movement and
around a Town Hub/Town Common.
The diagrammatic map above shows the
Framework Plan superimposed over the
View Shed Analysis (discussed earlier).
Use of the Framework Plan
This Framework Plan refl ects full
implementation of the Planning Goals and
Citizen Priority Statements as presented
earlier in this section. Therefore, it serves as a
reference for development of the Planning
Elements and, to the extent possible,
Planning Elements should incorporate
spatial features and relationships indicated.
However, the practicalities of crafting the
Plan may mean that implementation
of the intent of the Framework Plan is
accomplished in spatial arrangements that
are slightly different. For example, property
owner concerns, natural barriers, extreme
topography, conditions of the entitlements
or construction may effect and augment
spatial arrangements shown. Therefore,
the Planning Framework is to be viewed as
a spatial expression of Planning Goals and
Citizen Priority Statements meant to guide
the work and infl uence how “conditions on
the ground” are addressed, realizing that
fi nal plan patterns may vary.
Figure 9: Framework Plan and Viewshed Analysis
WESTLAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE28
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE
TOWN OF WESTLAKE, TEXAS
PART TWO: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
OF PLAN ELEMENTS REPORT
DECEMBER 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part Two: Executive Summary of Plan
Elements
Introduction 1
Land Use Plan 2
Thoroughfare Plan 4
Parks and Open Space Plan 6
Trails Plan 7
Town Design Structure Plan 8
Facilities and Town Hall Plan 10
Storm Water and Water
Conservation Plan 11
Housing Plan 12
Economic Development Plan 14
Plan ElEmEnts 1
Part 2: ExEcutivE Summary of Plan ElEmEntS
INTRODUCTION
Part Two of this Westlake Comprehensive
Plan Update is referred to as the Executive
Summary of Plan Elements. Built upon the
Assessments, Goals and Citizen Priorites,
and the Framework Plan, the following 9
Plan Elements serve as a balanced and
comprehensive guide for the future of
Westlake.
Westlake Comprehensive plan Update2
Plan ElEmEnts 3
Westlake Comprehensive plan Update4
Plan ElEmEnts 5
Westlake Comprehensive plan Update6
Plan ElEmEnts 7
Westlake Comprehensive plan Update8
Plan ElEmEnts 9
Westlake Comprehensive plan Update10
Plan ElEmEnts 11
Westlake Comprehensive plan Update12
Plan ElEmEnts 13
Westlake Comprehensive plan Update14
Plan ElEmEnts 15